Arrival
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of George Walker, in conversation with his son Gregory. Today, commissions galore - including Walker's first venture into symphonic form.
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of George Walker, in conversation with his son Gregory. Today, commissions galore – including Walker’s first venture into symphonic form.
More than three decades after he composed his earliest acknowledged work, George Walker received his first proper commission – ‘proper’ in the sense that he was actually paid for it. He finally seemed to have arrived as a composer, and from here on in, the majority of his pieces would be commissioned. On the menu in today’s programme: a brass quintet, a cantata, a piano sonata and the first of the five works Walker termed ‘Sinfonia’, to distinguish them from the tradition of the Romantic symphony.
Music for Brass (Sacred and Profane)
American Brass Quintet
Cantata
Joyce Mathis, soprano
Walter Turnbull, tenor
Boys Choir of Harlem
Orchestra of St Luke’s
Warren Wilson, conductor
Piano Sonata No 4
Frederick Moyer, piano
Sinfonia No 1
Sinfonia Varsovia
Ian Hobson, conductor
Produced by Chris Barstow for BBC Wales
Last on
More episodes
Music Played
-
![]()
George Walker
Music for brass quintet (Sacred and Profane)
Ensemble: American Brass Quintet.- ALBANY TROY154.
- ALBANY.
- 11.
-
![]()
George Walker
Cantata for soprano, tenor, boys' chorus and orchestra
Singer: Joyce Mathis. Singer: Walter Turnbull. Choir: The Boys Choir of Harlem. Orchestra: Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Conductor: Warren Wilson.- ALBANY TROY136.
- ALBANY.
- 18.
-
![]()
George Walker
Piano Sonata No 4
Performer: Frederick Moyer.- GM 2016CD.
- GM.
- 5.
-
![]()
George Walker
Sinfonia No 1
Orchestra: Sinfonia Varsovia. Conductor: Ian Hobson.- ALBANY TROY1061.
- ALBANY.
- 5.
Broadcasts
- Wed 8 Jan 2020 12:00BBC Radio 3
- Wed 27 Oct 2021 12:00BBC Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.