Shirley Joy Thompson (born 7 January 1958) is an English composer, conductor, and violinist of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

n descent. Her output as a composer encompasses symphonies, ballets, operas, concertos, and other works for ensembles, as well as music for TV, film, and theatre. Her ''New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony'' was composed in 2002 and debuted in 2004. Also an academic, she is currently Professor of Music at the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Augu ...

. In the

2019 New Year Honours The 2019 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

she was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) for services to Music.

Early years and education

Shirley Thompson was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, UK, of Jamaican parents. Her early musical experience included playing the violin in various youth symphony orchestras in London, and choral singing with local choirs in

Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the ...

. She graduated in music from

Liverpool University , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

and in composition from

Goldsmiths' College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wor ...

after studying with Professor Stanley Glasser.

Career

After university, Thompson composed a body of solo and instrumental ensemble works for concert hall as well as working as a freelance composer of music for TV, films, and the theatre. She set up the Shirley Thompson Ensemble in 1994 and this became the main vehicle for her instrumental and vocal works that fused contemporary classical orchestrations with popular and world music styles. Having trained as a television programme maker at the BBC and

Carlton Television Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Tel ...

, Thompson directed the film ''Memories in Mind'', with an award from the Arts Council, which was broadcast by the BBC in 1998. Thompson began to focus on full orchestral composition with ''New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony'', first performed in 2004 and recorded by the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

to celebrate one thousand years of London's history. The piece sees the

play alongside two choirs, solo singers, a rapper and dhol drummers. Originally commissioned for the

Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years a ...

in 2002, the concept has been described as "a predecessor of the

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday 27 July 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London, during which the Games were formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the pr ...

". Alongside Andy Cowton and

Carlos Montoya Carlos García Montoya (13 December 19033 March 1993) in Madrid, Spain, was a prominent flamenco guitarist and a founder of the modern-day popular flamenco style of music. Early life He was the nephew of renowned flamenco guitarist Ramón M ...

, Thompson co-scored the award-winning ballet ''PUSH'', which premiered in 2005 and has since toured the world in major and prestigious venues, among them:

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-se ...

, the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and ...

and the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century archit ...

. Theater Heilbronn, Germany; Athens Arena, Greece; Opéra de Lyon,

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while ...

, France; Teatro Comunale Modena; Teatro degli Arcimboldi (Milan);

Teatro di San Carlo The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent t ...

(Naples) Italy;

Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing and musical arts in the ...

(Madrid), Spain; and

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

, St Petersburg, Russia. In 2007, Thompson was commissioned to compose music for the opening of the Parliamentary exhibition ''The British Slave Trade: Abolition, Parliament and People'', which marked the 250-year anniversary of legislation for the abolition of the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people. ''The Woman Who Refused to Dance'', performed at the launch, is arranged for soprano, spoken-word artist and orchestra. '' Spirit of the Middle Passage'' for three solo singers, spoken-word artist and chamber orchestra was performed by The

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...

in the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The Q ...

as part of the Freedom & Culture International Creative Forum. The work featured three heroines: Nanny of the Maroons,

Dido Elizabeth Belle Dido Elizabeth Belle (June 1761 – July 1804) was a British heiress and a member of the Lindsay of Evelix, Lindsay family of Evelix. She was born into slavery and illegitimate; her mother, Maria Belle, was an enslaved African woman in the Brit ...

, and The Woman Who Refused To Dance (on a ship with enslaved Africans). In 2009, Thompson was commissioned by

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nati ...

to compose a piece to commemorate 100 days of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

's presidency. ''Voice of Change'' for chamber orchestra, solo voices, speaker and video was performed in April 2009 at the

Purcell Room The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats. The Purcell Roo ...

, Southbank Centre, with performers including principals of the

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale symp ...

and soloists. In 2010, Thompson was announced in the '' Powerlist'' of Britain's 100 Most Influential Black People 2010, an accolade that would be repeated in subsequent years, including being listed in the Top 10 for 2018. Most recently, Thompson has also been included in the

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

and 2022 editions of the list for her continued contribution to music. On 9 February 2013, extracts from her work ''Mandela Tales'', inspired by the book ''

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

's Favourite African Folk Tales'' (2002), were included in the programme performed by the Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir from

Gordonstoun School Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray, Scotland. It is named after the estate owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 17th century; the school now uses this estate as its campus. It is located ...

at the amphitheatre at the V&A Waterfront,

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...

. In 2015, her opera ''Sacred Mountain: Incidents in the Life of Queen Nanny of the Maroons'' was chosen to open London's Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival. In April 2016 she was honoured with the Luminary Award (presented to people of Caribbean heritage who have made significant, outstanding contributions on an international scale or have brought to prominence issues that affect the Caribbean region, with previous recipients including

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an internat ...

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

Louise Bennett Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley or Miss Lou (7 September 1919 – 26 July 2006), was a Jamaican poet, folklorist, writer, and educator. Writing and performing her poems in Jamaican Patois or Creole, Bennett worked to preserve the practice of p ...

and

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem '' Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcott ...

) at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

(UWI) Benefit Gala in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, Canada."Award-Winning Composer Dr Shirley J Thompson Receives Luminary Award"
News – University of Westminster, 11 April 2016. In 2018, to mark the 70th anniversary of the landing of the HMT ''Empire Windrush'', the ship that brought one of the first large groups of postwar West Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom, Thompson was commissioned to compose a new anthem, entitled "Psalm to Windrush: for the Brave and Ingenious", which was performed at a special service of thanksgiving held at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. On 9 June 2021, her work ''Song of the Prophets: A Requiem for the Climate'' premiered in a virtual concert performance as part of a collaboration between Chineke! Orchestra and UK charity

Christian Aid Christian Aid is the relief and development agency of 41 Christian (Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) churches in the UK and Ireland, and works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster ...

to highlight the global impact of climate change. Also in 2021, Thompson's ''Emanation'', a seven-minute work for chamber ensemble, commissioned by Allianz Musical Insurance and composed for BSO Resound, "the world's first professional disabled-led ensemble embedded in a major symphony orchestra", had its world premiere on 17 June at Lighthouse, Poole. In 2023, she was announced as one of the composers who would each create a brand new piece for the

Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey. King Charles III acceded to the throne on 8 Septembe ...

Academic work

Thompson is Professor of Music at the

, where she has taught since 2001, having held the position of Reader and Head of Composition and Performance. She has also given lectures at other institutions, including the

Victoria & Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

and on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The st ...

Filmography

Thompson was interviewed as part of the BBC

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on ...

series ''

Cunk on Earth ''Cunk on Earth'' is a British mockumentary television series produced by Charlie Brooker. The series stars Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter, a character who previously starred on ''Charlie Brooker's Weekly ...

''.

Honours and awards

Thompson has received awards from the following organisations: * Arts Council of England * Southbank Centre Award (2005), for ''PUSH'' *

Newham Council Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a d ...

, Department of Culture * Top TV Music Theme (1990) for ''South of the Border'' * Mannheim Film Festival prize (1990) for ''Dreaming Rivers'' * Prized Pieces, for ''Memories in Mind'' (1992) * Woman of the Year in the Arts nomination (1997) * Powerlist of Britain's 100 Most Influential Black People (2010–22)Glen Munro
"Composer Shirley Makes Her Mark On The Power List"
'' The Voice'', 11 November 2017. * Chancellor's Award, University of Westminster (2016/17) *

(UWI) Luminary Award (2016) * DLitt honorary degree from UWI (2018) * Appointed

(OBE) for services to Music (

)

Works

Thompson has composed for opera, orchestra, contemporary dance, TV and film. Selected works include: *''New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony'' (2004) – symphony for orchestra, choir, solo singers, rapper and dhol drummers *''Push'' – contemporary ballet (co-scored) *''The Woman Who Refused to Dance'' – for solo singer, speaker and orchestra *''Spirit of the Middle Passage'' – for solo singers, speaker and orchestra *''Viola Concerto, Oslo Odyssey'' – for orchestral and electronic instruments and multi-media *''100 Days of Barack Obama'' – for solo voice, instrumental ensemble and video projection *''The Lodger'' – theatrical music *''A Child of the Jago'' – opera *''Tapestry Song Cycle'' – for soprano and instrumental ensemble Her works have been recorded and issued on CD and DVD, including: *''New Nation Rising – A 21st Century Symphony'' * ''Newham Symphony Spectacular'' * ''Transition'' * ''Summer Notes'' * ''Anansi Fantasia'' * ''Memories in Mind''

References

External links

*
"Shirley J. Thompson Music & Sound Design Showreel"

New Nation Rising – A 21st Century Symphony.

"STM : Groundbreaking composer Shirley Thompson"
Voxafrica UK, 11 March 2013 (video).
"Shirley Thompson on This Day Live"
''Arise News'', 3 June 2014. YouTube video.
"Prof. Shirley J. Thompson OBE Interview , Identity & Aesthetic: Five British-Caribbean Composers"
''Sound and Music'', 20 February 2019.
"Up Close With Shirley J. Thompson: Visionary Artist and Cultural Activist"
'' Jamaica Global'', 24 March 2019. * Joel Campbell
"Musical partnership to chronicle historic moment"
''The Voice'', 12 May 2020. * Nikol Chen
"Rewriting History – Shirley Thompson OBE"
''The Good Leader Podcast'', Laidlaw Scholars, 28 July 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Shirley 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century English women musicians English women academics 20th-century women composers 21st-century classical composers 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century violinists 21st-century women composers Academics of the University of Westminster Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Alumni of the University of Liverpool Black British classical musicians Black British women academics British women composers British women conductors (music) Composers from London English classical composers English opera composers English people of Jamaican descent English violinists Fellows of the Higher Education Academy Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Women classical composers Women classical violinists Women opera composers 1958 births