Peter McCarthy © Paul Tucker

© Paul Tucker

peter mccarthy was born in Nottingham in 1954, though mainly brought up in Yorkshire.

A late starter as a musician, he went to Leeds University to study music in 1973 at the time that composer Alexander Goehr was in charge of the music department, taking composition lessons with Professor Goehr and double bass lessons in Huddersfield with Peter Leah.

He became a career specialist in early music performance practice, playing double bass, violone and viol. He was a member of the English Concert for 24 years.

Since the beginning of the 21st century Peter has run (and played for) St. James’ Baroque and the concert series Music in the Village (Walthamstow), which he founded. In later life he has returned to composition.

A distant kiss

Add to cart
  • Description

A distant kiss was written for Lucy Russell, leader of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet who gave its premiere and have featured it in concerts ever since.

Áthas

Add to cart
  • Description

Áthas – the Irish Gaelic for joy, or gladness – was written for the composer's Irish colleague and fine cellist, Sarah MacMahon (member of the Callino Quartet). An outstanding and vivacious musician, and a joy to play with.

Berry Hill

Add to cart
  • Description

Berry Hill is a short work for string quartet, dedicated to the memory of Iain McGillivray, father of two wonderful musicians, Katherine (who sadly predeceased him) and Alison.

Daalamist

Add to cart
  • Description

Daalamist – a Shetland word for mist that gathers in a valley at night – was written in 2020 in memory of viola player, Gustav Clarkson. Fellow violist Adam Romer made a YouTube recording of the piece during lockdown.

Gazing out to sea

Add to cart
  • Description

Gazing out to sea is a solo piece, written for violinist Lucy Russell, first violin of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, who was brought up in London, then moved with her family to St. Andrews on the East Coast of Fife.

O'r galon

Add to cart
  • Description

O’r Galon (Welsh for "from the heart") was written as a gift for the sackbut, trombone and violin player, Emily White (who was born in Wales).

You can watch the dedicatee – in her trombonist guise! – perform the piece (with the composer and Linda Sayce sustaining the under-pinning tone) HERE.

Vender

Add to cart
  • Description

Vender – the title of this unaccompanied violin piece, written for Miki Takahashi in 2018 – is a Shetland word, a tabu word used at sea by deep sea fishermen

      verb    to turn, as in "turn the boat", or "turn of the tide"

      noun    a cat, or a wanderer

You can see and hear the dedicatee playing the piece HERE.