On the cusp of 40, Paul Mealor has already built a legacy of musical excellence. His journey started at the young age of 10 when he began learning from teacher and composer William Mathias. Mathias is probably best known for composing an anthem specifically for the wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981.
This teacher-pupil relationship would prove prophetic, as some 30 years later, Mealor would also have his own composition performed at the wedding of the couple’s son, William, Duke of Cambridge, to Lady Catherine Middleton. The song, chosen by the bride and groom, was called Ubi Caritas et Amor.
This honor was well deserved by the Professor of Composition at the University of Aberdeen. His life thus far has been dedicated to composition and the study of music. This achievement reached, Mealor has continued to create beautiful arrangements. The same year he wrote for the royal wedding, he was commissioned to write the music for Wherever You Are, a tribute to members of the British Army serving in the war in Afghanistan. More recently, Mealor wrote another piece honoring the brave soldiers of the British Army called The Shadow of Thy Cross. This piece reflects upon the First World War and was commissioned in 2014, 100 years after the start of the Great War.
Mealor is now building on his success by preparing to release his first symphony. Six years in the making, Passiontide is, in Mealor’s words, a summing up of his life both spiritually and musically. It combines two previously published pieces, Stabat Mater and Crucifixus, with two newly written songs. The symphony, which premieres on November 19th, is meant to invoke the journey of Christ and His cross. It is a journey meant to leave the audience weary, yet satisfied, just as Christ’s journey was arduous and full of strife, yet in the end satisfied and redeemed the world.
Paul Mealor, though still young, has already made a great impact on the world of choral music. As he approaches his 40th birthday, November 25th of 2015, we celebrate this this innovative composer’s past accomplishments and the many yet to come. Surely, his is an immutable talent that will continue to shine.
See more music from Paul Mealor.
