Janet Wheeler Explained

Janet Wheeler (born 1957) is a British composer and choral conductor, based in Saffron Walden, Essex.[1]

Early life

Wheeler was a junior exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from the age of 10. She read music at Newnham College, Cambridge.[2] After graduating, Wheeler became a secondary school music teacher, then became a music producer for BBC Schools radio primary music before specialising entirely in conducting and composing.[3]

Composer

Wheeler's music has been sung by I Fagiolini,[4] Gloucester Cathedral Choir,[5] the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain,[6] the Chapel Choir of University College, Oxford,[7] Sonoro Choir,[8] ORA Singers,[9] Farnham Youth Choir,[10] Harlequin Chamber Choir,[11] Psallite Women's Choir,[12] Imperial College Choir,[13] Southampton Philharmonic Choir[14] the Chandos Chamber Choir and[15] St Bride's Choir at St Bride's Church.[16] In 2018 the London International Choral Conducting Competition commissioned The Cries of Music with words written by Welsh librettist and poet Euan Tait.[17]

Wheeler's music has been sung at the Three Choirs Festival[18] and at the Leith Hill Music Festival.

Wheeler was commissioned by her alma mater Newnham College, Cambridge to write Better is Wisdom than Weapons of War, inspired by the famous words from the college's suffrage banner, for the 100th anniversary of the Newnham Roll in 2018.[19]

As part of Sonoro Choir's 2019 Choral Inspirations project, Wheeler was commissioned to compose a new piece alongside five other British composers: Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Will Todd, Russell Hepplewhite, Joanna Marsh and James McCarthy. Her piece, Beati quorum via, was inspired by Charles Villiers Stanford's piece of the same name.[8]

Wheeler publishes her own compositions under the MazeMusic imprint. Hal Leonard de Haske publish some of her lighter pieces[20] and Novello published her introit We Sing to God, the Spring of Mirth.[21] The anthem Alleluia, I heard a voice is published in the Multitude of Voyces: Sacred Music by Women Composers anthology published in 2019 by Multitude of Voyces, and currently distributed by Stainer & Bell.[22]

Conductor

Wheeler founded the chamber choir Granta Chorale in 2007[23] and since 2010 she has also conducted SignuptoSing, the Saffron Walden Youth Choir.[24] She also conducts the Chamber Choir at Saffron Walden County High School.[25]

Awards

In 2016, Wheeler won the Friends of Cathedral Music Diamond Jubilee Introit competition for We Sing to God, the Spring of Mirth.[26] In 2017, she won the Hendrix Candlelight Carol Competition for her piece Behold, I Come[27] and also the Leith Hill Musical Festival Composition Competition for Seventy Three.[28]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Janet Wheeler (Saffron Walden) . 14 November 2016 . British Music Collection . 8 December 2023.
  2. Web site: Award-winning composer Janet Wheeler (NC 1975) conducts 'I sing and Ever Shall' on 24th March 2018 . 16 March 2018 . Newnham College . 8 December 2023.
  3. Web site: Janet Wheeler . 2024-06-18 . LFCCM - The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music . en.
  4. Web site: Music to Hear - Janet Wheeler & I Fagiolini Song - BBC Music . BBC .
  5. Web site: BBC Radio 3 - Choral Evensong, Gloucester Cathedral . BBC .
  6. Web site: Janet Wheeler - Imagine it! - MUSIC VIDEO - National Youth Choirs of Great Britain . 12 October 2018 . . 8 December 2023.
  7. Web site: U is for...University College, Oxford . 21 December 2019 . Friends of Cathedral Music . 12 August 2020 . 8 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200808124455/https://cathedralmusictrust.org.uk/news/u-university-college-oxford/ . dead .
  8. Web site: Sonoro presents six new works in Choral Inspirations 2019 project . Rhinegold.co.uk . 12 August 2020.
  9. Web site: ORA Singers — Oxford Festival of the Arts . 21 January 2020 . 14 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190514081409/http://www.artsfestivaloxford.org/whats-on/music-3/ora-singers . dead .
  10. Web site: Double gold for youth choir . Farnham Herald . 12 August 2020.
  11. Web site: Harlequin Chamber Choir - concert repertoire . Harlequin Chamber Choir . 17 September 2022.
  12. Web site: Psallite Women's Choir: Sing a Song of Joy . Rhinegold.co.uk . 16 November 2023 .
  13. Web site: Premieres: November's new music . Rhinegold.co.uk . 16 November 2023 .
  14. Web site: Mozart - Requiem. Wheeler - I sing, and ever shall - Southampton Philharmonic Choir . Southamptonphil.org .
  15. Web site: About . Chandoschamberchoir.org.uk . 12 August 2020.
  16. Web site: St Bride's: What's On . Stbrides.com . 12 August 2020.
  17. Web site: New choral piece commissioned for the inaugural LICCC . London International Choral Conducting Competition .
  18. Web site: Hereford 2018 Full Programme Announced . 3choirs.org .
  19. Web site: "Shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend": Newnham celebrates 100 years of the Roll in style – Newnham College . Newn.cam.ac.uk . 12 August 2020.
  20. Web site: Search - Hal Leonard Online . Halleonard.com .
  21. Web site: Janet Wheeler: We Sing To God, The Spring Of Mirth: Mixed Choir . Musicroom.com .
  22. Web site: Multitude of Voyces - Anthology of Sacred Music by Women Composers . Multitudeofvoyces.co.uk . 12 August 2020.
  23. Web site: Janet Wheeler - Musical Director . 8 February 2019 . 4 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180904235951/http://grantachorale.org.uk/wheeler.php . dead .
  24. Web site: Who we are - SignuptoSing - Saffron Walden Choral Society Youth Choir . Swchoral.org.uk .
  25. Web site: Gala Music Nation concert in Saffron Walden this weekend . Daniel. Barden . Saffron Walden Reporter .
  26. Web site: Diamond Jubilee Composition Competition results . 8 June 2016 . Friends of Cathedral Music .
  27. Web site: Janet Wheeler wins 2017 Hendrix Candlelight Carol Competition . 15 November 2017 . Musicalics.com . 12 August 2020.
  28. Web site: Leith Hill Musical Festival : Composition Competition . Lhmf.org.uk . 12 August 2020.

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