Join host Stefania Passamonte as she welcomes composer and violinist Ellie Wilson to discuss her debut solo album ‘Echoes’, created as part of a year-long artist residency at Epping Forest in London. Ellie shares the fascinating stories behind her compositions, from Iron Age hill forts and WWII bomb craters to her revolutionary ancestor Thomas Willingtom who fought to preserve the forest’s common rights during the 19th century enclosure movement. The album explores the human impact on this ancient woodland through innovative sonic techniques, including hydrophone recordings captured beneath forest ponds.
Ellie reveals her unconventional journey as a musician, moving away from traditional orchestra settings to explore rock bands, folk ensembles, and now experimental composition. She discusses how her diverse musical influences—from Bach and prog rock to heavy metal and folk—shape her avant-garde approach to contemporary classical music. The conversation also touches on her exciting collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, where she composed and performs music for two Shakespeare plays (Henry VI and Richard III) that run through January, featuring folk elements, the musical saw, and creative acoustic textures created without amplification in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Theatre.
Main Topics
Ellie Wilson's debut solo album 'Echoes' was created during a year-long artist residency at Epping Forest, exploring the human history and impact on the ancient woodland
The album features innovative recording techniques including hydrophone recordings from bomb-crater ponds created during WWII
Ellie's ancestor Thomas Willingtom was a 19th-century activist who fought to preserve the forest during the enclosure movement, influencing her own rebellious artistic spirit
Wilson moved away from traditional orchestra playing to explore rock, folk, and experimental music, claiming the title of composer after years of self-doubt
She draws inspiration from diverse musical genres including classical, prog rock, heavy metal, pop, and folk music, refusing to limit herself to one style
Ellie is currently composing and performing music for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre's productions of Henry VI and Richard III, running 55 shows through January
At the Globe Theatre, she creates electronic textures using only acoustic instruments due to the no-amplification rule in the candlelit venue, including playing the musical saw
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station the program where...▼
Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today on future Classificument Awards, we will be talking to composer and violinist Ellie Wilson. Ellie is here to present her new album, her new solo album. It's actually your debut solo album, right? That's right. That is called Echoes and is programmed as part of the People Forest from the Walton Forest, London part of culture. Can you tell us more about that? Yeah, sure. So in January this year I was invited by Apian Forest to be their artist in residence. So for the whole year I have had the pleasure of wandering around the forest a lot and sort of absorbing the atmosphere and learning about the history of the forest, which is an incredible ancient forest, has had many people use over this over the centuries. So there's a real ancient feel about it. And I decided there was two ways I could have gone with the project. I could have been inspired by the nature and the surroundings and the animals and flora and fauna. But I decided it was the human impact on the forest that I really was interested in. So, for example, there's two Iron Age faults in the forest, so hill forts, the remains which were pre Roman. And they're just a beautiful setting, they're quite eerie. You can feel the history when you go there. There's also the way that World War II affected the area during, during that time. So there's ponds in the forest that were created by bombs at first fallen in the Second World War. And I quite like that idea of the fact that something destructive has created a hole that has then been reclaimed by nature. So I like that idea of, you know, something that's been human formed and then been kind of claimed back by the forest and is now a place where obviously, you know, birds and ducks and fish and whatever are in there. And one of the pieces on the album I actually got a hydrophone and recorded down inside the pond to get the sounds of that, because I just thought that'd be a really, really nice way of sort of like exploring under the water. And the effect is great. And also one of the stories that was particularly resonant with me was a person who was called Thomas Willingow, who's actually one of my ancestors. He's my five times great uncle and he helped helped save the forest during the enclosure movement, which was in the 1800s. What was happening was a new train line had been set to come from London up into Epping and as a result, the area of the forest was being fenced in because it was seen to be more desirable and people were wanting to build on the land and, you know, make money and that kind of thing. But there was a right, an ancient right that people. So the commoners were allowed to go into the forest to chop down trees for forest firewood and things like that. And he was adamant that he didn't want that right taken away from him and would tear down the fences and jump in anyway and caused quite a bit of commotion in the area. But it's an amazing story. And he was quite a revolutionary. He was a bit of a rebel, I imagine, but an activist. And it's really important. It sort of shows you that, you know, if you pull together as a community and you have someone like that, you know, you can change things. And he did. I mean, he eventually prevented the forest from disappearing entirely. Well, me and Ali, we know from outside this program because we both run record label, classical record label, and I think you inherited somehow the rebel spirit from your ancestor. I mean, you're not the common violinist or the common composer that you could meet. No, no, I suppose not. I mean, I did, you know, I was classically trained. And then I decided that I didn't want to play in an orchestra. I don't know what it was about it. It was. I felt it was too restrictive. I decided to buy an electric violin and some effects pedals and see whether I could create new sounds. And started joining bands and played in rock bands for ages, actually, which is really exciting. And then more recently played in folk bands. Most recent band that I've played with is called Sticking the Wheel. And then decided, which is where I am now, to do more solo stuff. So I've been enjoying that, you know. Yeah. Which part is more, if you like, revolutionary in your career, the composing, the managing a record label, the violinist performing. Well, I mean, I think the great thing is that having all of those skills means that you understand both sides of the industry. And I think it's really important that as a musician and a composer, I understand the importance of promotion and the importance of having a bit of a business brain because, you know, if you want to get paid for doing this work, you have to make sure you've got all the right things in place in the first place. So I think that's. That's like a really important thing. But I suppose, I think as a composer. As a composer, I think that's quite a new word I've used to describe what I do. And it's funny, isn't it, how you sort of, you know, I know so many incredible composers and that word. I've always thought, oh, no, I want to call myself a musician. Can I really call myself a composer? But I think I'm now deciding that I can absolutely claim that I can use that word. Just a question. I mean, I know you played rock, you played, you know, folk and now you're a concept. Contemporary, you know. Yes. Yeah. Advanced, how do you say, Avant garde, maybe. Composer. Experimental, I suppose. I think since from an early age I have never listened to one genre of music. I've always enjoyed listening to music, even as a kid. One minute I'd be playing, I don't know, night on a Bare mountain or, you know, or some Bach or something, and then the next minute there would be some prog rock or heavy metal or, you know, pop music that I would play. And my listening habits have been the same throughout and I just, I think I just absorb music. I just love music. I love. I like to be challenged as well sounds and I like to really, really absorb the different styles of music. So, you know, folk music is a reasonably new thing that I've come to over the last four or five years. But I love the storytelling of folk music. Well, I want to talk so much more about this, but first I'd like to listen to the past as a life in the forest from your latest album Echoes. Sa. It. Welcome to women's radio station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to future classic women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show from tummy to Mummy here on women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on women's radio station and coming soon is the radical wellbeing show to help support Women's Wellbeing. Each show, I share the airwaves with ordinary women like me and you, doing extraordinary things. Women who have overcome huge obstacles in their lives, who are now here with me to empower you. On the Radical Wellbeing show, you'll be inspired to kick away the roadblocks and live your life to the fullest. If you're ready to get radical about your wellbeing, then this is the show for you. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate. And you can listen to my show get booked here at Women's Radio station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org you're listening to women's radio stations supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradio Station, that's Women's Radio STN or Facebook. Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Our guest today is composer Ellie Wilson with her latest album, her new solo album that is called Echoes. And actually, Ellie, you're here to perform something else as well. That is this fantastic collaboration with the Globe Theatre. Yeah, just absolutely delighted to be involved in this project. Was asked early in the year by Sean Holmes, who's the artistic director for two plays that are happening at Shakespeare's Globe in London at the moment, Henry VI and Richard iii. And I was asked to write the music to go with the plays. And I'm also performing. Performing in them. And there's 55 shows from. From now now till the end of January. So it's. It's pretty. It's pretty full on. But it's been an amazing experience and journey because I've been involved in the workshops right from the very start. So I've been involved with the actors and the creative team since August, where we explored the stories in some, you know, some projects. Pretty close detail. And we developed the music alongside what was starting to appear in the production. I knew I wanted to weave some folk music through it because it felt quite relevant to the stories. I mean, they're about the War of the Roses, they're about the battle between the Yorks and the Lancasters. They're very political. They're very resonant with kind of what's going on in politics today. So there's been quite a lot of interest in talking about what is being English, what's. What does England. What is England? You know, those kind of conversations which were quite interesting to have with the ensemble. And so, yeah, so there's a number of folk pieces that weave in and out throughout both shows. And then lots of kind of eerie soundscapes to cover up some pretty graphic, ghastly battle scenes and deaths. So I learned to play the musical saw over the last few months. So I use the musical saw quite a lot, as well as the violin. One of the things of recording at the Globe, because it's in the Sam Wanamaker's theatre, which is the small theatre, which is candle lit. So you play by candlelight every night and it's lit by candlelight. One of the rules are you can't use amplification. So being a musician that likes to use electronics quite a lot, it really made me think, how do I make these textures? How do I create these kind of electronic textures, but with acoustic instruments? So if the saw obviously has helped. Lots of extended techniques on the violin and cello, prepared pianos and also ebos, which you tend to use on guitars most of the time. Electromagnetic things that extend the sound of a string when it's played. That gives a kind of suspended sound world that's quite haunting. So they're the kind of things that I sort of experimented with. Wow. And actually the show is quite special in the sense that we were talking out of during the advert. I should stop doing that. I'm sorry. Audience stronger than us. About the fact that the character are genderless. How do you say? Yeah, so colorless. It's something that I mean I think in Shakespeare generally now is a thing, but definitely at the Globe, the ensemble, the acting ensemble is 50, 50 male, female and they play a number of parts in the play because there's about 15, 20 parts. So they, they share parts and they do different roles but it's very genderless. So there's men playing women, women playing men. It's also colorblind. So you've got, you know, a mixture of different races that play in different parts and it doesn't matter. Yeah, you know it's. And I think it's fantastic. It's just a brilliant approach. So that's really, really women heavy team actually predominantly, I'd say including the creative team and the stage managers is predominantly women. So what I wanted to ask you is in the composing field and in particularly in the performing field, can you say we're reaching the 50, 50, you know, genderless and colorless. I think we've got a bit of a way to go I think in the classical world still actually it's something that, for the record label that I work for, nmc, it's something that we're very conscious about and working with living contemporary classical composers, you know, we want to make sure that we do have 50, 50 male, female, new releases going forward. I don't think there's much we can do about the back catalogue. 30 years old, it's still going to be pretty heavily weighted to white middle aged men. But going forward there's absolutely no reason why we can't do that. There are so many incredible female composers out there and yeah, I think there's a hell of a lot more that needs to be done. In your experience, did you ever have this problem of being regarded as a woman trying to do something that should more appeal to a man? For example, maybe in the rock band. Yeah, I mean, I mean definitely not as a violinist but I think definitely as a band. So with the bands I've been involved in, I've been quite heavily involved in the organization of the bands as well. Including, you know, putting together tech specs that you would give the sound engineer so they know who needs to be, you know, linked up. And it was very interesting how many gigs I've done where the sound engineer who predominantly is male, there's not many female engineers there are out there, but there's not many. That's something that definitely needs to be improved. Would go up to one of the mal members of the band and not to me to ask questions about oh, where do you want a microphone and how Many guys have just helped to sort out my pedals and plug them all in and make sure I'm okay when I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. So, yeah, there's definitely been times where I've experienced that. Now, the next song we're gonna listen is called Scars. I mean, it's quite a strong title. Would you like to tell us about this? Well, Scars is actually relates to the Second World, so the, the impact of the Second World War on the Epping Forest. So the idea of what I was talking about earlier about the ponds and how that is a scar that's left on the ground, but also that there's remnants of, of World War II. As you walk through the forest, there's these kind of barrage balloon hoops where they would have connected barrage balloons in the Second World War to connect them to the ground. And there's still these hoops that are still in the ground now that you can see. And there was a prisoner of war camp where actually lots of Italian prisoner of war were kept up in Epping Forest, supposedly. It was actually quite a nice prisoner of war camp. I don't know if we can say it was necessarily nice, but the locals welcomed the community and a lot of the Italian prisoner of war stayed there. And there's actually a dialect in that area supposedly where there's this kind of weird sort of German, Italian kind of settlement, which is really interesting, which I haven't explored. And I need to do that more, find out a bit more about that. Well, what I'm surprised is like how the Italian prisoners were sent all the way up to London because I don't think we were not fighting in the, in the uk, right. They never came in. So, yeah, I don't know, but I suppose they just. They ship them back here to enjoy Epping Forest. To enjoy Epping Forest. I mean, there's worse places they could have been. Definitely. Well, let's listen them scars from Ellie Wilson latest album, Echoes. Welcome to the women's radio station supporting women's well being. Women's radio station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash, but just don't know where to start. @empowerandenrich.org you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. 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Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntous.org.uk welcome to the women's Radio station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station can give voice to your brand. With a wide range of sponsorship opportunities, including individual programs, we can tailor your experience for you. For more information on how you can sponsor a Show, go to womensradiostation.com Women's radio station supporting women's wellbeing. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station Today. Our guest is composer and violinist Ellie Wilson. Ellie, we were talking about the fantastic collaboration with the Globe Theatre, this brand new album for Echoes. That is your first solo album. Why now? To make. I mean, I understand this commission with the Epping Forest, but have you thought about having a solo album before or. Yeah, I have and I've actually sort of. I've got. I've got another one that's sort of 3/4 of the way. So I'm hoping to get that out next year. But I might spend some time seeing if I can get it out on a label or rather than self release, which is what I've done with this one. So I'm gonna. Yeah, so I'm gonna. Yeah, So, yeah, so I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna see what happens with that. But yeah. Okay. And so what would you say was the most exciting moment in your career? I mean, I think I'm probably in it at the moment, actually. I think this is. I've had some really, really good experiences A few years ago with a band called Revere. I went on tour with the world music choral player Tamani Dubarti, which was incredible, absolutely incredible. And it really sort of took our music out of what was very indie rock world to a brand new audience. We played some huge venues. We played up in Glasgow in town halls. So we played some really nice places. That was really one of the best experiences, I think. But I think the globe work has been particularly special to me. Were you a fan of Shakespeare? Well, this is the thing. I mean, I've always liked Shakespeare, but I think I'm a big fan. That's why I'm asking. I think. I think Shakespeare is a bit like contemporary classical music. You know, you've got to give it time. You've got to give it time to, you know, you've got to get into that sound world. You've got to get into those words. And once you've got it, that's it. You know, you sort of. You've got the bug. You know what I was doing on my trips? Performing. Whenever I go out in other countries with. With other languages, I buy a version of Shakespeare in their original in their language. So then I know I can translate few parts exactly as it is. So I have a collection of Shakespeare in Finnish in. What's your favorite play? Midsummer Night Summer. Yeah, that was the first one I read. I think I was like 12. I like the idea of the fairy. I was of course, getting lost with all the names. The plot was so complicated. But I loved it. Yeah. And then when I was in high school and we were doing English literature, so we were translating Otello. So Otello is another one. And you know, with opera, with Verdi, there is a line, it says, Balcel Nona beau full mini. That is the moment when he says Otello. Realize that Iago is been so devilish in making him to kill his own wife and Verdi in that moment with the music. And there is this version by Zefirelli, the movie, if you've ever seen it. And this. So perfect. So rock and roll if you like. So. Yeah, totally agree. Shakespeare is so modern. Yeah. And there's so many sort of parallels with what's happening in like in the world today. And you just. Yeah, he's a clever man. Oh, I can't wait to see your production, to listen to your music with it. This must be fantastic. And what would you say instead was the most challenging moment in your career? Oh, I mean I think challenging is. Yeah, I've not had anything like really awful happen, but I suppose I imagine just working as I have in the past in teams, working as a band has been. Can be quite challenging because you have to deal with managing people, people's expectations, but also your expectations of other people as well. So I thought, I think there's been some challenging moments being in bands where you're not all pulling in the right direction or in the same direction and yeah, lots of biting tongues. Basically we're not saying, maybe not saying what I want to say because you want to keep the peace and the pro and cons of your career being a woman working in the recording industry for example, or as a composer. Yeah, I mean, I suppose the cons I guess is the fact that, you know, I've. I suppose it depends how you look at it. But you know, I've had a dual career for. Well since I left university and I've worked administration so I've worked for record labels and then I've also built my performing career on top of that as well. And that is hard work and you have to accept that there's some things you don't do, like go on holiday very much. You know, I don't have kids but I mean I know people can work that around as well. But you know, there's, you know, there's certain things that sometimes just don't happen and that's fine and. But I think it can be really, really challenging to try and do everything. Absolutely. If you could go back in time, would you take the same path or would you maybe concentrate on a violin career or a composing career? Yeah, I think I would love to go back to my 20 year old self and tell her that some. She should be a bit more confident and go for it. I think I probably took to a certain degree the safe route. You know, I had a secure job, whereas actually probably when I was in my 20s, what I should have done is just got Some bar work and actually spent more time just playing the violin and maybe pushing that side of my career. But, you know, I got there in the end. It's fine. I mean, there is no end, actually. I mean. No, exactly. No, no. There's plenty of years, hopefully to come. Is there any piece, classical piece, that accompanying you all your life? For example, I'm a pianist, but if when I'm in the mood to be lifted from all my heavy thought, for example, the piece I always go to is the Spring Sonata by Beethoven. There is something in those first notes that just open my heart every time. Is there anything? I mean, there's a few things. I mean, Vaughan Williams symphonies, I go to a lot. There's something about them. I think that's the. I've obviously always been interested in folk music and there's a big influence of folk music in Vaughan Williams music and it's very English sound and his symphonies always draw me in. But I also, you know, I'd go to some Steve Reich or something like that as well. You know, I'm quite happy putting on something like that. That really gets me, like, you know, if I want to get myself into a very productive frame of mind, I'll put something like 18 musicians on or something like that. Yeah. Just a question. Do you come from a musical family? Not at all, no. Weird black sheep in the family. You know, as with all these things, you know, education is so important. And it was a number of very, very supportive teachers through my career who held my hand and, you know, made me get into music. Also, my granddad was really into classical music and he took me to my first classical concert when I was eight at the Barbican. And it was actually Stephen Huff I found doing Grieg Piano Concerto. Beautiful concerto. Yeah. And then I went on and that was a good choice. Got to know Stephen, you know, later on, but. Yeah. So funny, isn't it? That's. That's very funny that you remember actually your first time you went. Well, I found the program a few years ago and I hadn't realized it was him, but. Yeah, just beautiful. Well, the next piece is gonna be the Lopper and the Land Grabber from Ellie Wilson Latest enclosure came and trampled on the grave of labour's rights and left the poorer slave each little tyrant with his little sign Shows where man claims her clothes no more divine it levelled every bush and tree and hill hung Moles the traitors Though the brook runs still and bird and tree and flower without a name or sighed when all is this Law's enclosure came an enclosure like a born apart. Let not a thing remain, no rest until it's torn apart. The land brothers claim. Old Tom made his living on the land and at the stroke of midnight made his stand. He loved a branch from winter's leafless oak to save the forest for the common folk. Back to the inn he entered with and held it high before the crowd within. No lord would part him from his ancient ride as he left the fence upon St. Martin's night and closing you like upon a path. Let not a thing remain, no rest until it's torn apart. The land brothers claim. The lords and ladies take what's yours and mine. Pull up a branch and you show to the time you'll pick the tariocums tread the mill for gathering fuel to beat the winter's chill. Remove those mind forged manacles and see the forest fade. Depends on you and me and beauty all around you never lack cuz in the end we'll go and steal it back enclosure like a Bonaparte. Let not a thing remain, no rest and welcome to women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to future classic women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibility opportunities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show from tummy to Mummy here on women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on women's radio station and coming soon is the radical wellbeing show to help support women's wellbeing. Each show I share the airwaves with ordinary women like me and you doing extraordinary things. Women who've overcome huge obstacles in their lives who are now here with me to empower you on the radical Wellbeing show. You'll be inspired to kick away the roadblocks and live your life to the fullest. If you're ready to get radical about your well being, then this is the show for you. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show. Get booked here at Women's Radio station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org you're listening to Women's Radio Stations supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station is creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradio Station, that's womensradio STN or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. Our guest today is Ali Wilson, composer and violinist. Now on, you will see her actually performing live at the Globe Theatre for the production of Is that Eddie the Eighth. No, pardon. Henry vi, Edie vi, Henry VI and Richard iii. So actually, how is it to perform every single day? Tiring. It's crazy because it's not something that we do as classical musicians. Normally you have a concert here, a concert there, but you have rehearsal but you don't perform every single day. We've been doing 14 hour days every day kind of with tech week getting everything together now we've got past that. We had press night last week and now it's just turn up for the concerts but for the performances. But like today we've got one in the evening so that's fine, that's just an evening one. But at the weekends there's matinee and evening and sometimes you're doing the same show twice now. I think it's hard for me but Then I look at the actors on stage and they've learned all those words and they've got to perform out of their skins for, you know, twice in a day. I think they've probably got a harder deal because I've still got dots in front of me. So if I have a brain freeze moments, I'm absolutely fine. But I don't have that. Well, actually, I've seen with musical when, you know, you get the matinee and then the evenings I've seen a matinee show and then another time I saw the evening one and at the evening, the main character, it was completely with no voice. I was so tired. It's such a tough. It's really, really tough. Tough job, isn't it? And you're playing, you know, that's 55 shows we're going to be doing with the same music. You know, I know I wrote it, but I'm gonna get bored. You must really love it. You must really love it. But it is lovely to be able to experience the other side of it and to actually get the warmth from the audience afterwards, you know. You know, to know that they've really enjoyed it because, of course, they've all come to it for the first time. So right now it's time of the art question. Okay, so do you have any strange hobby to free or remind your or relax your mind? Oh, gardening. It's not strange, but it's beautiful. I absolutely love a gardening. It's the best way for me to switch off after a hard day. I've been really frustrated that I've not been able to get into the garden. It's an absolute mess at the moment because I've been too busy writing music or at the Globe. But, yeah, I can't wait to get back out there and sort of tidy it up and put it all to bed. It's a little bit late, actually in the year to do that, but things do need to be cut back and. But yeah, I think it's really, really therapeutic. Do you compose in the garden? No, not really. I'll think. I'll sit and think, which is about as much, which is as important as writing the dots. But, yeah, no, I tend to unfortunately, be stuck to a keyboard or a laptop to compose. Okay. And do you have any ripple or superstition before going on stage? I don't actually, no. No, I don't have anything like that. Which is a good thing. It's a fantastic thing. Yeah, yeah. No, I. I don't even want to get into that because that'd be awful, wouldn't it? I know very well about this. Do you have one? Well, definitely, if I can. I avoid wearing purple. Violet is the color that brings bad luck in Italy and apparently in France it's green. So when you think about that, it means, you know that is not true because why it should be one color for one. But it's true that when. Whenever there is a violet involved, something goes wrong. So I don't know if psychological or what, but yeah. And do you have any funny or embarrassing moments that you can recall as a performer? Not. Not too embarrassing, but there's been a couple of moments which were like, really tricky. So one of them in particular I can think, think of when I was in Holland on tour. I just. Was about. Just. Just about to go on stage and I put my. I was just putting some makeup on before I went on stage, put my hand in my makeup bag and I put my hand on a razor and I cut my tops of my fingers. Oh, my God. Just before I was about to go on to play the violin. Oh, no. And I put plasters on. On it and I thought, well, I can't play as like in other movies. Yeah. And so I just had to do whole rock and roll thing and just play with my fingers bleeding and my violin was completely covered in blood by the end of it. Oh, my God. How did you do that? I kind of had to play with two. It was only one finger that was cut, but it was a really annoying finger. It was. It was the four. It was the third finger. So I had to sort of kind of try and play with my other fingers around it. It was fine. You can get away with a lot of things when you've got other band members around you. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Okay. So, yeah, I wanted to ask you, actually. So you said before we were asking, talking about the fact that you don't come from music family. So how did they take the fact that you decided to become a professional musician? They were totally supportive. They've always been absolutely supportive. Mum and dad. They don't unnecessarily understand it all the time, but they've 100% been behind me. And they actually came to the shows at the Globe last week and they're not really into Shakespeare and I absolutely loved it. And it was so lovely just looking over at them in the audience with massive beaming smiles and they just. Yeah, so they really. They've always been so supportive and they've always come to gigs and things. So. Yeah. So what do you think? About classical music today. I think we have a really vibrant classical music scene. And I think, as always, more needs to be done to support modern classical music. That's my passion. And I think that that has to come from the industry, I think, you know, from press and, you know, because it is going to be the future. You know, as much as we all think that maybe someone like Harrison Burt was always quite hard, hard to listen to. You know, in 100 years time, his music will probably still be around and maybe seen in the same way as maybe even from the spaceship. Well, even from the spaceship, maybe. But. Yeah, but I just, you know, I keep reading this thing about Mars and life on Mars and classical music is it's going to be, you know, a bit like the fifth element with this concert hall on the spaceship going like on the cruise ship. Really? You have classical music on cruise ship, so it's gonna be. Yeah, yeah. But I think. I think. I think classical music is doing okay. Have you ever thought about classical music being political as well? It can be. Are you political in your music? I mean, I mean, it has been in the past, hasn't it? But I think that you'll definitely hear it in contemporary classical music. There's a number of releases that have come out recently which use speeches, like Martin Luther King speeches, that kind of thing that Dan Kadane has done, has done something like that. But also more recently talked about women's rights and gender politics and all of those kind of things. These are themes that do come up in music nowadays. You know, now there is so much about women composers, for example, so this show started with Clara Schumann, and then there is this movement on women composer, I think. What do you think? Actually, because you are the one. You are my victim today. Do you like being called a woman composer? I mean, I am a woman, so I don't. I'm not really that bothered about it particularly. But it is, I suppose, at times annoying to be sort of singled out because, you know, you wouldn't say the same. I think the thing is. Yeah, exactly. And I think, you know, there's been a lot of occasions where women have. The questions that women get asked are different to what a man gets asked, for example, is, you know, if a woman has a child, very often it's kind of. Well, how do you. How do you work that round having a child? Oh, really? But you would never ever ask a guy that. Yeah, true. Well, you know, I'm a mom and I can tell you that my daughter, she, although she loves her daddy very much. You know, mommy is very important. So when I'm away for concerts, I feel particularly guilty of leaving her home. So I, I would understand, you know, how do you do that? It's not easy, but. Yeah. And I think men, they have less of a motherhood instinct sometime maybe. Yeah, but that's a generalization as well, isn't it? Yeah, but the questions shouldn't be asked anyway. Absolutely. I totally agree. Oh, well, the next piece is gonna. It's called Willingale. So that's about your great, great. Yeah, my five times great uncle. Yes. Let's listen. Sa. Sam. Foreign. This was Willing Gale from Echoes, the latest album from Ellie Wilson. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our future Classic Women awards, please email presentersomensradiostation.com or tweet us @womensradiostn. A big thanks to our guest Ali Wilson for the great chat and the beautiful music play today. Thank you very much. It was such a pleasure. 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