I was fortunate to have an artist residency to develop music within Olympias Music Foundation’s Migrant Voices project. The spontaneously-formed band in which I co-created music was called “Soap of My Heart”. Migrant Voices was the premiere performance of 4 new musical works, created during a week-long artist residency with Read more…
Rachel Beckles Willson · No Sacred Place I was asked to write a piece exploring the idea of place, in sound. In response, I examined how a place is not only as a physical location, but also a trigger for experience which can be expressed in sound. I used Read more…
Following the bombing of the Manchester Arena in 2017, people of Manchester gathered tributes in an enormous spontaneous memorial, which was subsequently collected and stored by the Manchester Art Gallery. Now known as the ‘Manchester Together Archive’, this collection serves as a reference point for the way the city came Read more…
I composed this mixed-media work for bassist James Banner. It responds to the radical uncertainty of life during a pandemic, particularly as it has hit musicians. In the first part, ‘Playing on, nevertheless’, I explored fragmentation and playful resilience: a simple swung bass melody finds itself haunted by wails and Read more…
Are you interested in learning oud? I teach Arabic, Persian and Turkish traditions as part of my affilliation with the Royal Northern College of Music, where I am Honorary Research Professor. Feel free to get in touch and arrange a consultation lesson.
What happens to our secrets? What happens to our hidden stories? Eventually they find their way out. Unwept Tears began as a story and became a piece of music before turning into a film. Text and music by Rachel Beckles Willson Narration, oud, udu and sampled voice: Rachel Beckles WIllson Read more…
I am honoured to have been invited to join Kirill Gerstein in the distinguished online forum for leading thinkers hosted by Kronberg Academy on 20 May, 5pm BST (6pm CET). “Sound journeys with the oriental lute”. What can Europeans learn from listening to the oud? Something about difference and cross-cultural Read more…
I am thrilled to have won the Frances Densmore Prize for my article “Orientation through Instruments: The ʿūd, the Palestinian Home, and Kamīlyā Jubrān” in the world of music (new series), vol. 8, no. 1, 2019. This prize is awarded annually by the American Musical Instrument Society for the most Read more…
I will be leading another workshop in Collaborative Sonic Art, this time for the Connect: Resound Learning Festival put on by NYMAZ, the North Yorkshire Music Action Zone. As a whole, the festival is an exploration and a celebration of the music education sector’s diverse approaches to online learning. It will Read more…