Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth

Chronique

The EP format is not common in classical music, but it serves several functions here. First, this is among the last recordings made by the late choral conductor Stephen Cleobury with the King's College Choir. The performances are beautiful, and it makes a fitting part of any memorial to him. Second, the EP appeared in late 2020, when the world was in special need of some consoling pieces of choral music. Third, although composer Errollyn Wallen has had a variety of pieces performed around the UK, often written for specific occasions, her music will be new to many listeners. It is vocally oriented (she has written several operas), and it reflects her belief that an acknowledgment of popular influences is important for classical music in the present day. This influence, however, comes largely in the lyrical quality of her vocal lines, not in the rhythmic realm one might expect from her Afro-Belizean background. Her music is tightly economical and is very much a product of her training at King's College, which focused on Schoenberg, Messiaen, and the like. Further, the three pieces here fall easily into the grand British tradition, and the listener will hear echoes of Howells and Britten. That's a crowded field nowadays, but Wallen has an eclectic spirit that should let her stand out from the crowd. Lastly, Wallen has said that she strives for a sense of joy in her music; listeners in 2020 could certainly use that, but a full-length album of Wallen's music is set to flow from this project, which should certainly whet appetites.
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