Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Rachel Portman studies Psychotherapy

Donald Macleod chats with Rachel Portman about her training in Psychotherapy and its parallels to writing music for film.

Donald Macleod chats with Rachel Portman about her training in Psychotherapy and its parallels to writing music for film

Donald Macleod this week joins the Oscar winning film composer Rachel Portman in her studio in London, to chat about her life and music for film and the concert platform. Portman was the first female composer to win an Academy Award, an Oscar, and a Primetime Emmy Award for her various film music projects, as well as many other Academy and Golden Globe nominations. In more recent years her music for the film The Duchess has been added to the A-level music syllabus for students to study. Portman also has an interest in ecology and environmental issues. There'll be an opportunity to hear part of her choral symphony The Water Diviner's Tale, a collaboration with Owen Sheers, plus the orchestral work Endangered specially recorded by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra. Throughout the week there will also be music specially recorded by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers including Portman's Magnificat, and her Christmas Carol We Were There composed in collaboration with Michael Morpurgo.

In 2010 the composer Rachel Portman not only became the first female composer to win a top honour for Film and TV from BMI, but she also received an OBE. Her career as a composer has gone from strength to strength, including composing a programmatic orchestral work entitled Endangered, commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and premiered for the World Environment Day Concert in 2013. In more recent years Portman has been studying psychotherapy, and in conversation with Donald Macleod she discusses its parallels with her work in film: both involve getting to grips with understanding personalities and situations.

We Will Be Laotong (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan)
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor

Never Let Me Go (excerpts)
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor

Endangered
´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra
Michael Seal, conductor

Skye Boat Song
´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers
Libby Burgess, piano
Benjamin Nicholas, conductor

We Were There
´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers
Libby Burgess, piano
Benjamin Nicholas, conductor

Katya Remembers (Despite the Falling Snow)
Studio Orchestra
Jeff Atmajian, conductor

The Final Event (Race)
Studio Orchestra
Joris Batrsch Buhle, conductor

End Titles: Still Life
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor

Producer Luke Whitlock.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 9 Mar 2018 12:00

Music Played

  • Rachel Portman

    We Will Be Laotong (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
    • Sony.
    • 18.
  • Rachel Portman

    Main Titles (Never Let Me Go)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Never Let Me Go Soundtrack.
    • Varese Sarabande.
    • 2.
  • Rachel Portman

    To The Cottages (Never Let Me Go)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Never Let Me Go Soundtrack.
    • Varese Sarabande.
    • 4.
  • Rachel Portman

    Madame Is Coming (Never Let Me Go)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Never Let Me Go Soundtrack.
    • Varese Sarabande.
    • 6.
  • Rachel Portman

    We All Complete (Never Let Me Go)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Never Let Me Go Soundtrack.
    • Varese Sarabande.
    • 17.
  • Rachel Portman

    Endangered

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ S O.. Conductor: Michael Seal.
  • Rachel Portman

    Skye Boat Song

    Performer: Libby Burgess. Choir: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.
  • Rachel Portman

    We Were There

    Performer: Elizabeth Burgess. Choir: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Singers. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.
  • Rachel Portman

    Katya Remembers (Despite the Falling Snow)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Jeff Atmajian.
    • Despite the Falling Snow Soundtrack.
    • Cube Soundtracks.
    • 8.
  • Rachel Portman

    The Final Event (Race)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Joris Batrsch Buhle.
    • Race Soundtrack.
    • Black Lot Music.
    • 18.
  • Rachel Portman

    End Titles (Still Life)

    Performer: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.
    • Still Life Sountrack.
    • Kronos Records.
    • 23.

Broadcast

  • Fri 9 Mar 2018 12:00

Vaughan Williams Today

Vaughan Williams Today

Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.