Composer of the Week: James MacMillan

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Composer of the Week

Music: Classical

Composer of the Week - Brand

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.

Composer of the Week: James MacMillan (b 1959): Happy 60th Birthday!

James MacMillan (b 1959)

Happy 60th Birthday!

BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, James MacMillan (b 1959), Happy 60th Birthday!

MacMillan's strong political and religious views and his two concertos written for friends

James MacMillan discusses the birth of his political and religious views plus the writing of his Cello Concerto for Rostropovich and Veni Veni Emmanuel for Evelyn Glennie.

Sir James MacMillan is reflecting on his prolific life in composition as he celebrates his 60th birthday this week. 

He discusses his regret at joining the Communist Party at the age of 14 because of the hurt it caused his grandfather. And his early search for some kind of fusion of Christian theology and Marxist philosophy, including the influence on his music of a radical movement that grew up in South America as a response to the widespread poverty and the ill-treatment of ordinary people.

He also remembers his friendship with Mstislav Rostropovich which led to the commissioning of his Cello Concerto, written at the time of the Dunblane shooting. And he describes the creation of his next great musical success: Veni, Veni Emmanuel – the percussion concerto he wrote for his friend Evelyn Glennie


For Ian
John York, piano

Cantos Sagrados (Identity)
The Elysian Singers
Carl Jackson, organ
Sam Laughton, conductor

The Reproaches, from Cello Concerto 
Raphael Wallfisch, cello
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vanska, conductor

Veni, Veni Emmanuel 
Evelyn Glennie, percussion
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Jukka Pekka Saraste, conductor


Presenter: Donald Macleod
Producer: Rosie Boulton

Composer of the Week: James MacMillan (b 1959)

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Sir James MacMillan reflects on his life in composition as he celebrates his 60th birthday

Sir James MacMillan is reflecting on his prolific life in composition as he celebrates his 60th birthday this week.

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Composer of the Week

James MacMillan (b 1959)

Happy 60th Birthday!

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