A ROYAL composer who hails from North Wales and wrote music for the Coronation was “honoured and overjoyed” to be presented with a rare honour given personally by the King.

According to Paul Mealor, from Connah’s Quay, the Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral, the investiture ceremony at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh was one of the proudest moments of his life.

The King presented Prof Mealor with the award, appointing him a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for his services to the royal family, including original compositions for last year’s coronation and the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now the Prince and Princess of Wales.

He became the member of an elite club as the first composer to receive this award, a gift given by the King to people who have served him in a personal way, since Sir Arthur Bliss in 1969 and before him, Sir Edward Elgar.

Separately, he has previously been presented with the Coronation Medal for his contribution to the service at Westminster Abbey. He wrote the Welsh language Kyrie, a short prayer set to music, which was sung by superstar bass baritone Sir Bryn Terfel.

Prof Mealor took time out of preparations for this year’s North Wales International Music Festival to attend the prestigious occasion, saying he had been “shocked and surprised” to discover he was to receive the award when the official letter arrived.

 

Paul Mealor with his mother, Patricia Mealor, following the presentation of the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order Medal by The King at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh

Paul Mealor with his mother, Patricia Mealor, following the presentation of the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order Medal by The King at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh

 

He said: "The letter went on to ask if I would accept it or not. Of course I did but it was not something I expected at all. I have composed music for many Royal occasions but never thought an award of this sort would be presented to me.

"The King and Queen were spending a week in Edinburgh and the ceremony was at Holyrood and the award was presented to me by the King after I was called into a separate room.

“It with just the King present along with my family when he put the medal on my chest and congratulated me and we chatted about the work I have done and the work I am doing at present. He appeared to be very familiar with the work I have done.

"This was the first time I had been to Holyrood and it was a very special day for all my family."

Prof Mealor’s full focus is now on putting the final touches to the “exciting programme” at the 2024 North Wales International Music Festival which runs from from September 12 to 21.

It’s his first as the Artistic Director of the event that’s now firmly established as one of the highlights of the cultural calendar in Wales, following in the footsteps of his immediate predecessor Ann Atkinson.

Taking the helm has brought his remarkable career full circle because he was mentored as a young musical protégé by the festival’s founder, the late Professor William Mathias, a fellow royal composer who would have been 90 this year.

The festival’s headline sponsor is the arts loving care organisation, Pendine Park, via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports arts and community activities.

It has also been supported by main grant funders the Arts Council of Wales, Colwinston Charitable Trust, Arts & Business Cymru and Tŷ Cerdd. This year’s festival is also part funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for Denbighshire.