Mealor was catapulted to international stardom in April 2011, when 2.5 billion people (the largest audience in broadcasting history) heard his Motet, Ubi caritas performed by the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace conducted by James O’Donnell at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton (now TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge) at Westminster Abbey. It since topped the Classical singles charts in the USA, UK, Australia, France and New Zealand.
Paul Mealor comments:
‘This has been one of the most exhilarating years of my life so far, and to be signing to Novello- one of the greatest and most important music publishers in the world - is both humbling and amazingly exciting. I can't wait to start work!’
Chris Butler, Head of Publishing at Music Sales comments:
‘Paul Mealor is the most exciting new composer of choral music to emerge in recent years. His compositions continue a long line in the British choral tradition. The association of Paul and Novello is a natural one – Novello occupies a prominent role in the world of contemporary music, particularly for choral repertoire and we expect the collaboration to be powerful and productive.’
James Rushton, Managing Director of Novello comments:
‘Paul Mealor is a natural communicator, whose music is already attracting an immediate response from a large and enthusiastic audience internationally. It is tremendously exciting to be able to work with Paul, and with his recording company Decca, in developing new opportunities in new markets and in further expanding the attention that he and his music so deserve.’
In July this year Tenebrae Choir, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Nigel Short recorded and album of Paul’s music, A Tender Light. The disc includes the moving A Spotless Rose and Ubi Caritas, performed at the Royal Wedding.
A Tender Light will be released on November 14. Pre-order at Amazon | Play.com | iTunes
Click here to apply for free tickets to a special concert with Paul Mealor and Tenebrae in London tonight at the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, EC1A 7HW, at 6.30pm for 7pm. If you apply you will also receive a free download of Paul Mealor's Locus Iste from the new album.
Selections from A Tender Light for SATB chorus, published by Novello, will be available to purchase from all good music shops and musicroom.com from November 1. The collection includes Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal, She walks in beauty, O vos omnes, Locus Iste, Ave Maria and Ubi caritas. Pre order the collection now
Watch a video from the Tenebrae recording sessions
Click here to watch more videos from Paul Mealor | Visit Paul on Facebook | Free Download
Press
‘Paul Mealor has a deep connection with our choral heritage yet his works have immediacy and modernity. He has the rare gift of being able to create joyous melody within music that is both sincere and profound. This is an album with hints of Celtic mystery, moments of great solemnity, splendiferous singing and above all sumptuous tunes.’
Gareth Malone – Choir Master and BAFTA Award-winning BBC Presenter of The Choir
‘This is music of deep introspection with luminous tonality and a real directness and openness of expression… I wept tears of joy from beginning to end…’
NYE New York Magazine
‘Serene and beautiful’
Gramophone
‘Mealor is the most important composer to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias’
New York Times
About Paul Mealor
Born in St Asaph, North Wales in 1975, Paul Mealor studied composition privately as a boy with William Mathias and later with John Pickard, and at the University of York (BA, 1997, PhD, 2002) and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen and Per Nørgård. His music has been commissioned and performed at many festivals around the world by such leading ensembles as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Britten Sinfonia, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio Two, Three, Four, Japanese, Swedish and Danish Radios and Classic FM. Since January 2003 he has taught at the Music Department at the University of Aberdeen where he is Professor of Composition.
Mealor composes primarily for the voice and has written a number of cycles, songs and choral works for many leading singers and choirs in the UK and USA. A CD of his sacred choral music recorded by Con Anima Chamber Choir and entitled, Mealor: Stabat Mater was released on the Campion Cameo Label in November 2009 to critical acclaim. Gramophone Magazine described it as, ‘serene and beautiful’, whereas NYE New York Magazine stated, ‘this is music of deep introspection with luminous tonality and a real directness and openness of expression… I wept tears of joy from beginning to end…’ and, The New York Times said, ‘Mealor is the most important composer to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias’
Mealor’s recent work, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal – a commission from JAM - has been recorded on the Metier Label and topped the Classical Album charts in May 2011. The Glasgow Herald wrote of it, ‘Surprising turns of harmony accomplished within a traditional tonal ambience gave this composer’s music a uniquely seductive freshness. His little elfin scherzo in the middle was a real stunner.’ Whereas The Scotsman wrote, ‘it was the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal for unaccompanied choir that stole the show!… This sublime music opened up from soft unison into a spectrum of warm sonorities from growling basses to soaring sopranos. The choir beautifully evoked the intimacy of the work, executing some gorgeous effects along the way.’
Mealor was catapulted to international stardom in April 2011, when 2.5 billion people (the largest audience in broadcasting history) heard his Motet, Ubi caritas performed by the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace conducted by James O’Donnell at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton (now TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge) at Westminster Abbey. It since topped the Classical singles charts in the USA, UK, Australia, France and New Zealand.
In July 2011 Mealor signed to Decca Records – one of only a handful of composers to have been taken on by a major record label - and recorded his first album, ‘A Tender Light’ with Tenebrae Choir and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nigel Short, in early July for release in November 2011. Also in November 2011 he will appear on Gareth Malone’s new BBC Two series, The Choir as guest composer, and is writing a new work for the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance 2011 which will be premiered at The Royal Albert Hall in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen.
Paul Mealor’s music is published by Novello & Co from November 1, 2011.
