David Murphy studied music (composition) at Birmingham Conservatoire and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As a composer, he has won numerous competitions including the GSMD Lutoslawski Prize for Composition and first prize at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. His compositions have been performed by leading British musicians and in such venues as the Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre), Wigmore Hall, Adrian Boult Hall and Westminster Abbey. In the classical recording industry, David has worked for Gramophone Magazine, Naxos Records, Select Music & Video Distribution, Tower Records, K&A Productions, and has been a director of First Hand Records since 2007.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Walking in the countryside and looking at nature is the best place for peace and happiness, although I don’t manage to do it enough.

What is your greatest fear?

Opening a newly received box of soon-to-be released FHR (First Hand Records) CDs to find a huge mistake in the artwork or audio!

What non-musical hobbies or interests do you have?

Photography – particularly macros (especially mushrooms!), nature and landscapes, sunsets/sunrises, historical buildings. Badminton, which I’ve been playing for over 20 years. Cycling, both on and off road.

What is your earliest musical memory?

Hearing the final horn solo at the end of Stravinsky’s Firebird was probably my first significant musical memory when I was around 7 years old. I was playing one of my father’s LPs, simply because I liked the LP cover, which was a beautiful scenic photo of a large lake (a typical classical music LP cover of the time). I was immediately taken in by the sound of the horn and its evocative melody.

Who is your favourite composer, and why?

Easy: J.S. Bach. Needs no explanation!

If you could meet anyone from the past, who would it be?

Pianist/composer Franz Liszt. Probably the greatest performer/improviser, who lived an extremely fascinating life. He championed his contemporary composers possibly more than any other musician, which played a significant part of his life.

For a non-musician person of the past, I’ll go with Queen Elizabeth I (although she loved music and did play the lute amongst other instruments).

Describe a particularly challenging or rewarding moment in your career so far.

Shortly after I finished my Masters Degree in composition studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London (a few years before I joined FHR), I was commissioned to write a short work for the 2004 Commonwealth Day for Westminster Abbey Choir/organ, jazz saxophonist Deny Baptiste and Juliet Roberts (lead singer of British soul band Working Week). Having this work performed at the Abbey in front of the Royal Family (I met the Queen afterwards!), leaders and dignitaries of the Commonwealth, Tony Blair, Desmond Tutu etc., was probably the most rewarding moment of my short career as a composer.

During my time at FHR, I commissioned an album of Bruckner Motets performed by St. Albans Cathedral Choir directed by Andrew Lucas. It was just about to be recorded when the first Covid lock-down happened. Seeing the recording come to fruition, after a delay of a few years due to the pandemic, and eventually receiving the final printed CD, was a very gratifying moment (especially as one of my own photos is used for the album cover). FHR have recently recorded another album featuring St. Albans Cathedral Choir, featuring the wonderful and uplifting music of Philip Moore, which I’m very much looking forward to releasing in 2025.

FHR has released several early music albums, including Irlandiani, Brook Street Band and soon, Lux Musicae. What is special/unique about recording early music?

The variety of music to be found during this large period in music history is immense – so much to discover. Due to the way much of the music was notated during this time, it gives artists a large interpretative spectrum, with fewer constraints than seen in later periods of music. You never quite know what direction a recording will go in when recording early music. It’s also exciting to bring back to life works from hundreds of years ago that have only recently been discovered - or possible never performed before - and to give them fresh life in a recording.

How did you first get involved in the recording industry?

It was really a gradual line of work which brought me to the recording industry. After leaving music college, I worked in the classical music department of Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus, after which I worked as a discographer at Gramophone Magazine. I then held part-time jobs (alongside bringing up my two children) working at Naxos Records and then at Naxos’ premastering suite, K&A Productions. During this period, I accepted an invitation to be co-director at the very recently established FHR label (having only released one CD at this point). The success of the label means this has grown to be my full-time job.

FHR artist Lux Musicae are releasing their album ‘Secrets of Andalusia’ in January. Could you share with us any special moments in the realisation of this project?

When Lux Musicae London approached FHR with their proposal for ‘The Secrets of Andalusia’, I was intrigued by the interesting combination of instruments used in their emerging programme. With the inclusion of guest musicians: flamenco virtuoso guitarist Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde, the amazing kanun (similar to the zither) player Konstantinos Glynos, and early music vocalist and Sephardic song expert Victoria Couper, I knew this was going be something very interesting and exciting to record. The concept of the project explores the development of Flamenco in Spain from around the 15^th to 17^th centuries, showing its influences through Arabic and Sephardic song. To me, it immediately conjured a sound world similar to that of the genius Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI, or the brilliant L’Arpeggiata directed by Christina Pluhar. If you like their recordings, you will love ‘The Secrets of Andalusia’! Hearing the first edits was a special moment – this unique recording more than lives up to my expectations.

As co-director of FHR, what do you enjoy most about your role, and how do you overcome any challenges?

My work at FHR involves pretty much all aspects of a record label and I enjoy all of it. This includes A&R, graphic design, PR, marketing, photography (including some FHR album covers), and I’ve even mastered/ remastered a few albums. Being involved with so many aspects and the running of the label makes it a very interesting job, never boring! The greatest gift involved in my work is simply all the wonderful recordings which I get to listen to everyday. A challenge is getting everything ready for various deadlines which can be stressful – and there’s a lot to remember. Facilitating this work successfully with all its challenges means working every day of the week most of the time, and frequently into the small hours. The finished product is always the great reward.

Lux Musicae London's 'Secrets of Andalusia' will be released on the FHR label on 24th January and will be available to purchase on the FHR website. This recording project was supported by Continuo Foundation. You can also buy other Continuo-supported recordings made by FHR, including Irlandiani's 'Smock Alley' and The Brook Street Band's 'A German in Venice'. Enjoy a taste of the latter in the video below!

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