Page 214 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024

When Weir quits being the monarch’s music master, what next? “My big ambition is to go to

more concerts that are nothing to do with me,” she replies. “After 50 years in this business my

enthusiasm for music is as great as ever. Don’t you feel the same way?”

Blond Eckbert opens the Aldeburgh Festival on June 7, brittenpearsarts.org

Who will be the new Master of the King’s Music?

by Neil Fisher

James MacMillan

The 64-year-old has an immense body of work behind him — including a superb anthem written

for Elizabeth II’s funeral. Politically outspoken, however, the Catholic unionist Scot may ruffle

too many feathers.

George Benjamin

Another musical knight, also 64, the softly spoken composer would be the connoisseur’s choice.

Hard to see him writing royalist music to order, though.

Roxanna Panufnik

Panufnik, 56, was one of the coronation service composers, so we know she’s on an approved

list. Her wide-ranging work includes two deft community operas for Garsington, which bodes

well for such a public role.

Tarik O’Regan

A particularly fine choral composer, the 46-year-old grew up in Croydon. He draws on his

mixed Irish and Algerian background in his music — and, like Panufnik, had success with a

premiere at the coronation.

YolanDa Brown
No one said it had to be a classical specialist. The charismatic 41-year-old Londoner, a

saxophonist and composer, is already a terrific advocate for music in the UK and was chair of

Youth Music for six years.