After blogging on International Women’s Day in March about raising the profile of women in music, and how encouragement inspires everyone to excel, we were delighted to hear the news that composer Judith Weir is to become the first female Master of the Queen’s Music.
Or should that be Mistress? Regardless of titles, another glass ceiling has been smashed, and another line of opportunity for young composers to aspire to has been raised.
The news was leaked last weekend, and has been greeted with great excitement and enthusiasm by both the music world and the press. “She would be the perfect choice,” the Southbank Centre’s head of classical music, Gillian Moore told the Guardian. “She really thinks about the place of music in the world. She’s a composer who works very much on her own but has demonstrated that she absolutely has a commitment to involving a wide range of people in everything that she does.”
Though the post won’t be officially confirmed by Buckingham Palace until next week, it’s a fitting recognition of Weir’s contributions to the arts through her career. Gender aside, it’s always good to celebrate people’s talent, and the hard work that they’ve dedicated to making that talent exceptional, so that we can benefit from their skills. Whether recognition comes in the form of a title, a role, or a positive review, encouragement not only inspires the person who receives it to keep going, but it also raises the aspirations of all those who follow in their wake.
We can’t wait to see how Weir fares!