A New Musical Commission
As part of our 150 anniversary celebrations, a piece of music was commissioned and performed at our Service of Thanksgiving at King’s College Chapel on 14 February. The piece, composed by Visiting Music Teacher (VMT) Lucy Walker, proved to be a highlight of the event.
Lucy Walker, who teaches clarinet and piano at The Leys, studied at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where she discovered her passion for choral music through singing in her college choir. This experience opened up a new world for her, leading her to start composing after graduation. Over the past three to four years, she has focused primarily on composing choral music.
Currently, Lucy is the Composer-in-Residence at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, now in her second year. During her time there, she has received top-class mentoring from their Director of Music, Andrew Earis, and has been commissioned by renowned groups such as the BBC Singers and VOCES8. This experience has been invaluable, allowing her to work closely with choirs and compose with their specific needs in mind.
For this commission, Lucy had to balance the challenge of creating a piece that is both accessible to less experienced singers and challenging enough for more advanced performers. She also considered the grandeur of King’s College Chapel, which inspired her to compose a larger, more ambitious piece.
The chosen text for the composition is ‘Let all the world in every corner sing’ by George Herbert, a fitting choice for the joyous and uplifting tone that both Lucy and The Leys Director of Music, Max Kenworthy, aimed to achieve. They selected the text together, ensuring it perfectly matched the celebratory spirit of the occasion.
Lucy expressed her excitement about the commission, saying: “I am really pleased to have been asked to write this piece. It’s a wonderful opportunity to contribute my passion for composition to such a significant event, alongside my teaching at The Leys.”
Max Kenworthy also shared his appreciation for Lucy’s work, stating: “We are very fortunate to have Lucy on the team here at The Leys and I was delighted that she was able to accept this commission. Her composition beautifully captures the essence of our celebration, and we were thrilled to present it at King’s College Chapel.”