SAD NEWS October 28, 2010 Maurice Murphy, legendary former principal trumpet of the LSO has died
The death has been announced of Maurice Murphy, who was for 30 years the principal trumpeter of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Murphy's early musical training was in
the brass band world, and his first major appointment was as solo cornet
with the Black Dyke Mills Band when still in his early 20s.
Early orchestral experience came via
brief stints with the Hallé and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. From
1961 he held the position of principal trumpet with the BBC Northern
Symphony Orchestra, now the BBC Philharmonic.
His move to the London Symphony in 1977
coincided with the earliest John Williams soundtracks to be recorded by
the orchestra. STAR WARS THEME MP3
For many, his greatest moment came with the recording of
the soundtrack for Star Wars, and in particular the fanfares that
accompany the opening sequence of the film.
Murphy officially retired from the LSO
in 2000, but he was persuaded to continue on an annually renewed
contract until 2007. He was appointed MBE in the 2010 New Years Honours
list.
More information:
A Tribute to a Legend
On
October 16, 2000, the UK brass world paid tribute to one of the world's
foremost trumpet virtuosi, Maurice Murphy, principal trumpeter of
London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), on the occasion of his retirement. The
event took place in Barbican Hall, London, where the LSO Brass Ensemble,
LSO Chamber Ensemble, Williams Fairey Band, LSO Big Band, and numerous
guest stars all contributed to an astounding celebration. All performers
donated their services, and the box office profits were donated to the
Ronald Moore Sickness & Benevolent Fund founded in 1968 to support
LSO-members unable to work while sick.
Maurice
Murphy was born in 1935, and started his studies on the cornet from age
6. His father, a member of the local Salvation Army Band, was his first
teacher. At age 12 he became the All Junior Champion Cornet Soloist.
Later he would hold the Solo Cornet position with Black Dyke Mills Band.
In 1961 he was appointed Principal Trumpet of the BBC Northern
Orchestra, and accepted the Principal Trumpet chair in London Symphony
Orchestra in 1976. His dedication to the highest standards of playing on
the concert platform has been balanced off stage by an abiding interest
in the well being of his friends and colleagues.
With
his heroic sound, his strength, and his tenderness, he has caught the
attention of countless listeners. Through decades he has also performed
the spectacular trumpet parts on films like: Superman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Brassed Off.
Diverse artists as Tom Jones and Icelandic Bj�rk have also cited his
competence, while André Previn describes him as an absolutely ideal
player in the symphony orchestra setting.
The Williams Fairey BandThe
LSO Brass Ensemble under Eric Crees opened the concert featuring LSO
Principals in solos on trombone and horn. When the LSO Chamber Ensemble
under Sir Colin Davis came on stage, Maurice Murphy moved the audience
deeply with Copland's haunting Quiet City, then Murphy and Rod Franks played like twins in Vivaldi's Concerto in C for two trumpets.
After
the intermission, the prize-winning Williams Fairey Brass Band,
conducted by James Gourlay, featured trumpeter Rod Franks on trumpet in
Joy Webb's Share my Yoke.
Trumpeters Derek Watkins, Noel Langley, and Tony Fisher then called on hearts with We've Only Just Begun, Memories of You, and MacArthur Park, accompanied by the LSO Big Band.
The concert evening culminated in a standing ovation for Maurice Murphy.
Subject: Maurice Murphy Interview Anno 1978
Maurice Murphy's Farewell Tribute reminded me of an interview he gave to Harold Nash of "Sounding Brass" magazine (now defunct, I believe). Maurice joined the LSO the year before the interview, and some of the answers he gave are certainly worth digging out, so here are a few:
"When I first went to the Northern (BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, where he was principal for 17 years before going to the LSO; DM) I had no hope of coping with the reading and transposition but the second trumpet there then was Harold Hall and he used to tip me off about looking at the parts with tricky tranpositions. I don't know anything about theory or the rudiments of music and I'm not interested in scales and how many sharps or flats a piece is in. They are all just notes and I transpose note for note or by ear. When I first started I used to listen if anyone else ha the same figure and then play it by ear. I picked up a lot of transpostion from that."
It seems that Maurice Murphy's entrance to the professional world ol orchestral playing was almost accidental: or had he always nursed ambitions in that direction?
"It just happened. I couldn't do anything else and in any case it's better than work-I tried that too, being covered in oil and grease before nine o'c/ock in the morning."
The stay with the B.B.C. Northern lasted nearly I7 years until the invitation came to join one of the world's greatest orchestras as Principal Trumpet.
"I never really wanted to come to London but it was just the money that made me. It I'd got the same money up in Manchester I would never have moved. At the same time, I got fed up with the way the BBC treat their musicians. Now that I am down here I wish I'd done it years ago. Apart from the money they are more appreciative down here and I find it much easier to play with the LSO. I've never been hooked on music and as tar as I'm concerned it's just a job. If I won the pools I'd probably nail my trumpet to a barn door or make a table lamp out of it. From a playing point ot view I like anything you can get your teeth into: something you can legitimately make a mess of. The things I find difficult are getting up in the morning and getting the instrument out of the case. I'm not interested in orchestras at all really. I just do it, that's all. Some top-liners think, talk, eat and drink music. I just dont like it! If I have the car radio on it's tuned in to the 'pop'station. If I didn't have a job tor six months I certainly wouldn't take it out and have a blow. If I have a solo date I might just have to run it through but I can do that in the TV commercials. Also, if I'm going to use the D trumpet (Maurice played all Bach works on a Besson D at the time; DM) I might have to take it out at home to free the valves."
It is clear that Maurice Murphy is a unique talent with a completely fresh and unsophisticated approach to the problems of brass playing and his reply to my request for advice to youngsters eager to emulate his success was not unexpected.
"Just put in on the face and press till it hurts."
Subject: Maurice Murphy Interview Anno 1978
