The Premiere of Mealor’s new orchestration of his popular, ‘Stabat Mater’ was well received by a capacity audience in St Andrews. The Scottish press state: –
‘One of the many joys of experiencing live music making is that even the hardened concertgoer can experience a real and unexpected revelation. Such, surely, was what happened for the near capacity audience at the recent St Andrews Chorus concert. The cause of this was a piece by a living composer – welshman, Paul Mealor. How is it that after half a millenium of what we would recognise as Western tonal music, can a composer still conjure up new and origional, yet beautiful material from what is the same old notes and the limitations of the human voice.’
St Andrews Citizen
‘Normally Haydn’s Nelson Mass would hold sway over anything else put alongside it, but on Saturday night in the Younger Hall it was more than given a run for its money by the Stabat Mater by the Aberdeen-based Mealor. I had first experienced his compositions not so long ago and was immediately impressed by his ability to write superb lush harmonies and make a contemporary work readily accessible and easy on the ear. This work is very much on the same lines and Saturday saw its world premiere in its orchestrated form.’
Garry Taylor, The Dundee Courier