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Janet Wheeler

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

Early life

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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

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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

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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

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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]

References

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