Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth

Album review

These three choral works by acclaimed contemporary composer Errollyn Wallen continue the timeless tradition of reflecting on the human spirit through sung words. Peace on Earth, See that I am God and Pace reach across centuries of traditions and cultures to mould their expression and they range from the intimate to the majestic.
Peace on Earth is a contemporary carol and a setting of Wallen’s own words: the bleakness of winter in a turning, troubled world conveyed through a slowly spinning ostinato over which the voices sing (as they themselves hear other unseen voices sing) of the hope for light and peace.
See that I am God was first performed in 2014 by St Paul’s Cathedral Consort to celebrate 20 years of the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in the Church of England. The text is by Julian of Norwich, the 14th-century religious visionary, and her words inspired a dramatic setting where the consummate combination of voices and organ depicts the mystery and exhilaration of faith. Pace is best understood as a single human breath; as a single line; as a world’s long, long journey to light.

Born in Belize, Errollyn Wallen gave up her training at the Dance Theater of Harlem, New York to study composition at the universities of London and Cambridge. She founded her own Ensemble X, and its motto ’We don’t break down barriers in music… we don’t see any’ reflects her genuine, free-spirited approach and eclectic musicianship. She has been commissioned by outstanding music institutions from the BBC to the Royal Opera House and performed her songs internationally. © King’s College, Cambridge