Viking
Views
4 years ago
Flag

Viking Presents: An Evening of Classical Music-programme

  • Text
  • Orchestra
  • Viking
  • Classical
  • Clarinet
  • Concerto
  • Symphony
  • Debbie
  • Traveller
  • Mozart
  • Melody

Q&A Debbie Wiseman One

Q&A Debbie Wiseman One of Britain’s most successful composers and conductors, Debbie Wiseman OBE, is composer in residence for Classic FM. There are few people who have not heard a theme from one of Debbie’s films or shows. Her many credits include Wolf Hall, Father Brown and Wilde starring Stephen Fry. Nominated for two Ivor Novello awards, winner of a TRIC Award and RTS award, Debbie was honoured in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the music and film industry. In 2017, she composed the Viking signature piece of music, The Traveller, to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary, the same year that she was honoured as the Godmother of the river ship, Viking Herja. What do you most enjoy most about conducting the National Symphony Orchestra? They’re such talented musicians and each one of them brings something special to the orchestra. Many of them are soloists in their own right, but when they play together they bring a unified spirit to the sound of the orchestra and always play with real commitment and passion. Tell us about your inspiration for writing music. My inspiration comes from the particular project I’m working on. If it’s a film or a television series then I have the characters, the story and the drama as starting points to propel me into the writing process. If it’s a stand-alone piece of music then I find inspiration from the reason I’ve been asked to compose the piece – a celebration, a commemoration, an anniversary, for example. Either way, the music has to come from my heart and it’s of paramount importance to me that I feel excited about a commission before taking it on. That way I know I can come up with what I think is the right music for each project. Where did the inspiration/idea for The Traveller come from? I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity of visiting Viking’s river and ocean ships and I was able to soak up the unique Viking atmosphere and use the wonderful experiences I had onboard for the creation of The Traveller. What music do you like listening to? While I’m on a composing project it’s impossible for me to take time out to listen to any other music as I find it too distracting! However, during the times when I’m not composing then I love Mozart, Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Beethoven, Ravel, to name just a few – there’s quite a long list! What is your favourite piece of music? I couldn’t possibly choose one piece! There are so many that I absolutely love. The piece that probably had the most lasting impact on me, however, was Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony, as it changed the way I viewed modern contemporary music. I also chose it as the piece that I would save on Desert Island Discs. 4

An Evening of Classical Music 5

Search