Malala was commissioned by the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in 2014. Her story is an inspiration to us all.
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani student and education activist from the town of Mingora in the Swat District of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She is well known for her activism for the rights to an education for girls and for women, especially in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban had banned girls from attending school. On the morning of Tuesday, 9 October 2012, Malala boarded her school bus in the northwest Pakistani district of Swat. A gunman asked for Malala by name, then pointed a Colt 45 at her and fired three shots. One bullet hit the left side of Malala’s forehead, traveled under her skin the length of her face and then into her shoulder.
In the days immediately following the attack, she remained unconscious and in critical condition, but later her condition improved enough for her to be sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, for intensive rehabilitation.
The assassination attempt sparked a national and international outpouring of support for Malala. United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched a UN petition in her name, using the slogan “I am Malala” and demanding that all children worldwide be in school by the end of 2015 – a petition which helped lead to the ratification of Pakistan’s first Right to Education Bill. In 29 April 2013 issue of Time magazine, Yousafzai was featured on the magazine’s front cover and as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World”. She was the winner of Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize and was nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
Although Paul wrote the piece in early 2014 we decided not to publish the piece until 2016 in respect to the PLC community who commissioned the work. We also wanted Malala and her team to hear it first. Now, for the first time, Malala the new choral work is ready to be performed to the world. We hope you enjoy this piece about one of the most important people of our time.
Performed by the ladies who commissioned the work, conducted by Fiona Clouston with Bobby Singh -tabla, Andrew Basile – piano, Mikaela Sukkar – Oboe and Anais Alonso – Viola. Recorded and produced by Peter Kennard with visual production and editing by Malcolm Heap.
Audio Sample courtesy of the Presbyterian Ladies’ College.
