Paul Mealor
b. 1975
British
Summary
Welsh composer, Paul Mealor has composed music for some of the most important UK state, national and Royal occasions of the last fifteen years including the wedding of The Prince and Princess of Wales (2011); King Charles III’s 65th, 70th and 75th birthdays; two works for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s National Services of Thanksgiving (2022); two works for the Coronation (2023) – including the first ever setting of the Welsh Language at a Coronation sung by Sir Bryn Terfel, and three works for The Honours of Scotland Service (2023) – the so called, ‘Scottish Coronation’.
He has also written music for film and television including the score to the BAFTA-Award winning ‘Wonders of the Celtic Deep’, three operas, four symphonies, concerti, chamber music, much choral music and songs, including the 2011 Christmas No 1, ‘Wherever You Are’ for Gareth Malone and the Military Wives Choir.
Mealor has received many awards and honours for his work including honorary degrees, Brit and Classic Brit Awards, fellowships and prizes, and in January 2024 was appointed to The Royal Victorian Order (LVO) by HM King Charles III for his outstanding contribution to Royal Music. He is the first composer to receive this accolade since Sir Arthur Bliss in 1969 and before him, Sir Arnold Bax and Sir Edward Elgar.
Podcast: Composing Myself - Wise Music Group’s COO Dave Holley and Creative Director Gill Graham chat to Paul Mealor.
Biography
Born in St Asaph, North Wales, in 1975, Mealor studied composition with William Mathias and later with John Pickard, at the University of York (BA 1997, PhD 2002), and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen. His music has been commissioned and performed at many festivals and by many orchestras and choruses, and broadcast on every major TV and Radio station throughout the world. Since 2003 he has been Professor of Composition at the University of Aberdeen. Mealor was catapulted to international stardom in 2011 when 2.5 billion heard his motet Ubi Caritas, performed at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton (now TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge). It since topped the Classical singles charts in the USA, UK, Australia, France and New Zealand.
In July 2011, Mealor signed to Decca Records and signed a publishing deal with Novello & Co. His first album for Decca, A Tender Light - a collection of sacred anthems recorded by Tenebrae and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - spent six weeks at No 1 of the Specialist Classical Charts. He is currently preparing his second album for Decca and has contributed new works to a number of other Decca albums, including his song In My Dreams for X factor star Jonjo Kerr and The Military Wives Choir, which entered the pop charts at number one, knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top spot; De Profundis for the St Petersburg Chamber Choir on the album Tranquillity, and the first ever musical setting of St Francis' prayer, You Are The Holy Lord God for Friar Alessandro's debut album.
Mealor wrote a number of works for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and has recently completed his first symphony Passiontide – a large work for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra – which received its premiere at the composer’s fortieth birthday concert in November 2015, and is currently working on a number of pieces for chorus and orchestra. He has just finished filming a programme on the music of Benjamin Britten and appeared in the BBC 2 programme, The Choir, as well as making his Carnegie Hall debut with a sell-out performance of his Stabat Mater with the DCINY chorus and orchestra conducted by James Jordan.
Mealor is the first President of ‘Ty Cerdd’ – Wales’s National Centre for music making and Vice-President of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and the North Wales International Music Festival. He is composer in residence with Canada’s top professional choir, Pro Coro, and is the Curator of the JAM on the marsh festival in Kent. He has received many awards and honours for his music including Honorary Fellowships from Bangor University (2013) and Glyndwr University (2012) in Wrexham, and the Glanville Jones Award, from the Welsh Music Guild, for his outstanding contribution to music in Wales (2013). He was appointed a Free Burgess of The City of Aberdeen in 2012 by The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, and is President and Patron of many Welsh and Scottish organisations.
News
- Mealor premiere at Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- 21st March 2024
- A new arrangement by Paul Mealor will be premiered at this April's Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- Premiere Tour | The Light of Paradise by Paul Mealor
- 8th January 2024
- Mealor's new choral opera The Light of Paradise will be premiered and toured this January by Zurich Chamber Singers and sonic.art saxophone quartet.
- New Year Honours for Judith Weir and Paul Mealor
- 30th December 2023
- Judith Weir and Paul Mealor have been honoured in The King's New Year Honours list 2024
- A Scottish Service for King Charles III & Queen Camilla
- 4th July 2023
- A National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on July 5 2023 includes music by Errollyn Wallen, Judith Weir, new commissions from Paul Mealor and a new arrangement by John Frederick Hudson.
- Wise Music Group composers at The Coronation
- 4th May 2023
- The Coronation Service for Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort includes new compositions by Judith Weir, Paul Mealor, Tarik O’Regan and Debbie Wiseman alongside other repertoire published by Wise Music Group.
- New music for The Coronation by Judith Weir, Paul Mealor and Tarik O'Regan
- 18th February 2023
- The Master of The King’s Music Judith Weir, Paul Mealor and Tarik O’Regan have been commissioned by The King to compose new pieces for The Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort taking place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.
Performances
Features
- The Best Recordings of 2022 from Wise Music Classical
- Wise Music Classical invites you to enjoy a selection of the best recordings of 2022, featuring composers from across our international family of publishing houses.
- 'Composing Myself' podcast by Wise Music
- Composing Myself is an official Wise Music Group podcast series celebrating Wise Music’s 50th anniversary, presented by CEO Dave Holley and Creative Director Gill Graham. Over the course of this series, they talk to various Wise Music published composers around the world about their lives in and out of music along with excerpts of the composers works included in the podcasts.
- Choral Highlights 2022
- In recent months and for the season ahead the Wise Music choral catalogues are once again burgeoning with new works. There are new pieces and publications from Richard Allain, Peter Bruun, Britta Byström, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Matthew Martin, Paul Mealor, Nico Muhly, Owain Park, Joby Talbot and Judith Weir, plus new repertoire from recent Australian signing Ross Edwards.
Photos

Discography
- Catalogue NumberSMCD0001
- ConductorRoger B. Williams
- EnsembleSt Machar's Cathedral Choir
- SoloistMatthew McVey, Organ.
- ReleasedOctober 2023
- Works
- LabelDecca
- Catalogue Number5528383
- ConductorAndrew Nethsingha / Antonio Pappano
- SoloistBryn Terfel, bass-baritone
- Released25th May 2023
- Works
- LabelSanctiandree
- Catalogue NumberSAND0009
- ConductorClaire Innes-Hopkins
- EnsembleSt Salvator's Chapel Choir
- Released2022
- Works
- LabelChandos
- Catalogue NumberCHAN 10997
- ConductorBen Germon
- EnsembleBBC Philharmonic Orchestra
- SoloistDavid Childs
- Released1st November 2019
- Works
- LabelRondeau
- Catalogue NumberROP6171
- ConductorAndreas Reize
- EnsembleSingknaben der St. Ursenkathedrale Solothurn
- Released16th November 2018
- Works
- LabelRegent
- Catalogue NumberREGCD527
- ConductorSarah MacDonald
- EnsembleThe Girl Choristers & Lay Clerks of Ely Cathedral
- ReleasedJune 2018
- Works
- LabelNaxos
- Catalogue Number8.573427
- ConductorChristopher Finch
- EnsembleWells Cathedral School Choralia
- Released1st June 2015
- Works
- LabelCampion
- Catalogue NumberCameo 2083
- ConductorPaul Mealor
- EnsembleCon Anima Chamber Choir
- Released1st November 2009
- Works
- Catalogue NumberCOLCD136
- ConductorJohn Rutter
- EnsembleCambridge Singers / Aurora Orchestra / Aurora Orchestra
- SoloistElin Manahan Thomas, soprano
- Works
- LabelDECCA
- Catalogue Number2781149
- ConductorNigel Short
- EnsembleTenebrae
- SoloistGrace Davidson (soprano)
- Works
The Firmament Of His Power

The Coronation of King Charles III
The Tyger and the Lamb: A Christmas Dance
The Symphonic Euphonium II
Sing A Cappella

The Song of the Stars
Mealor: Stabat Mater

This is the Day – Music on Royal Occasions
