She studied composition at the University of London and Cambridge, she's been commissioned to compose songs for the BBC and the Royal Opera House, and she has released two successful albums - and on top of all that is that Errollyn Wallen is a Belizean. Well she was actually born in Belize City and left when she was two. Now she is a big time composer in the UK but she hasn't forgotten her roots. She's visited a few times and will be performing on Saturday night. It will be part of a benefit concert for the Hand in Hand Ministries. We met her at rehearsals at the Bliss.
Keith Swift Reporting,
She's a world class Belizean born British composer with a mighty hand but an even more powerful voice.
Clip of Performance; See it [ON DEMAND]
But this afternoon Erroyln Wallen wasn't only performing - she was teaching. These music students got the opportunity to work with the world class composer at the Bliss Center. This afternoon's lesson was for the students to compose a collaborative song - using their names.
Errollyn Wallen, Composer
"I am getting these students to make up music from scratch and exploring exactly what the nature of sound is; texture, color, atmosphere and encouraging them to see what it is to be a composer. At the moment we are making up music from the sound of our names.
My beginning as a composer was when I was nine years old, just playing with class members, just making up stories in sound and I think these young people are the future of music, the future of creativity, and it's very important that I connect and share what I know about music making with them."
She is sharing that talent with students like Marcus Acosta who attends Canaan Seventh Day Adventist High School. He plays the keyboard. This is his first time working with a composer.
Marcus Acosta, Music Student
"It's a good experience for me too because then it helps us. What she's doing right now, she is teaching us how to compose songs that we're doing with our names and it's a good experience for me."
Jessica Habet from the Belize School of Music has worked with Wallen before.
Jessica Habet, Music Student
"I've worked with her before. I've seen her concerts, I like how she plays her music, usually she sings a different melody from what she plays, so it is interesting and kind of hard to follow."
Errollyn Wallen was born in Belize. She left Belize when she was 2 but has made several trips back since.
Errollyn Wallen,
"I can only be a world class composer because I was born in Belize, I think. But you know when I checked it out, many of my ancestors were musicians so that's exciting. I moved to England when I was two but I grew up hearing stories of Belize from my mother and father and my father Henry Wallen is very musical, to this day they jump up when they hear music. But music has always been a natural part of my life. I can't say I was especially encouraged but it's my life and that's how I live."
Yesterday Wallen worked with the Wesley College Steel Band.
