Background
Williamson, Malcolm Benjamin Graham was born on November 21, 1931 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Son of Review George and Bessie (Wrigley) Williamson.
composer lecturer performer writer
Williamson, Malcolm Benjamin Graham was born on November 21, 1931 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Son of Review George and Bessie (Wrigley) Williamson.
Student, Barker College, Sydney. Student, Sydney Conservatory of Music. Doctor of Music (honorary), Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey, 1970.
Doctor of Music (honorary), University Melbourne, 1982. Doctor of Music (honorary), University Sydney, 1982. Doctor of University (honorary), Open University of Great Britain, 1983.
Operas: Our Man in Havana 1963, English Eccentrics 1964, The Happy Prince 1964, Julius Caesar Jones The Violins of St. Jacques 1966, Dunstan and the Devil 1967, The Growing Castle 1968, Lucky-Peter’s Journey 1969, The Red Sea 1972; Cassations: The Moonrakers 1967, The Snow Wolf, Knights in Shining Aimour 1968, Genesis, The Stone Wall 1971, The Winter Star 1973, The Glitter Gang 1974, The Terrain of the Kings 1975, The Valley and the Hill 1977, Le Pont du Diable 1982; Ballets: The Display 1964, Sun into Darkness Perisynthyon; Orchestral: Piano Concertos 1958, 1960, 1961, Organ Concerto 1961, Violin Concerto 1965, Elevamini (Symphony) 1956, Santiago de Espada (Overture) 1956, Sinfonia Concertante 1961, Sinfonietta 1965, Symphonic Variations 1965, Concerto Grosso 1965, Symphony Number 2 1969, Symphony Number 3 (The Icy Mirror) 1972, Symphony Number 4 1977, Symphony Number 5 1980, Symphony Number 6 1982, Symphony Number 7 1984, Mass of Christ the King 1977, A Pilgrim Liturgy (Cantata) 1984; Chamber: Variations for Cello and Piano 1964, Concerto for Wind Quintet and Two Pianos, Eight Hands 1965, Pas de Quatre (Piano and woodwind) 1967; Organ: Fons Amoris 1957, Symphony 1960, Vision of Christ Phoenix 1961, Elegy JFK 1964, Peace Pieces 1971, The Lion of Suffolk; The Brilliant and the Dark (operatic sequence) 1966, Two piano sonatas 1967, From a Child’s Garden (tenor and piano) 1968, Little Carols of the Saints, Hammarskjbld Portrait 1974, also choral and piano music. Assistant organist. Farm Street, London 1955-1958. Organist, St. Peter’s, Limehouse 1958-1960. Lecturer in Music, Central School of Speech and Drama, London 1961-1962.
Executive Committee, Composers' Guild of Great Britain 1964. Composer-in-Residence Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey 1970-1971. Master of the Queen's Music since 1975.
President Beauchamp Sinfonietta since 1972, Birmingham Chamber Music Society since 1975, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 1977-1982, University of London Choir since 1976, Sing for Pleasure since 1977, British Society for Music Therapy since 1977. Ramasciotti Medical Research Fellow, University of N.S.W. 1982. Visiting Professor, University of Strathclyde 1983-1986.
Honorary Dr.Mus. (Westminster Choir College) 1970, (University of Melbourne) 1982, (University of Sydney) 1982, (The Open University) 1983. Sir Arnold Bax Memorial.
Compositions include: (grand opera) Our Man in Havana, The Violins of Saint-Jacques, Lucky Peter's Journey. (chamber opera) English Eccentrics, The Happy Prince, The Musicians of Bremen. (film scores) The Brides of Dracula, Thunder in Heaven, title music and prologue to Watership Down, The Masks of Death.
Numerous ballet, orchestral, and choral compositions, concertos, chamber music, brass ensembles, piano and organ works, documentary film scores, others.
President Beauchamp Sinfonietta, since 1972, University London choir, since 1976, Purbeck Festival of Music, since 1976, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1977-1982, Sing for Pleasure, since 1977, Finchley Childrens Music Group, since 1991. Vice president The Elgar Foundation, St. Michael's Singers, National Music Council Great Britain, National Youth Orchestra Great Britain. Patron numerous organizations.
Member Birmingham Chamber Music Society (president since 1975), British Society Music Therapy (president since 1977), Stevenage Music Society (president since 1987), Ditchling Choral Society (president since 1989).
Married Dolores Irene Daniel, January 9, 1960. 3 children.