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Author Topic: Gavin Murphy  (Read 4989 times)
CWazyTom
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« on: October 01, 2018, 09:50:20 PM »

The musical director, Gavin Murphy, has received kind of a mixed reaction from the fan base since he took over for David Downes in 2015.

I think a lot of people got turned off by Destiny because it sounded so different. I really liked a lot of the things he did in Destiny. Yeah, it wasn't as big or as full a sound as Downes had in his arrangements, but he had a lot of genius stuff in the harmony and backing instrumentals. Destiny was the first (and so far only) Celtic Woman album to get nominated for a Grammy, so I guess some people in the recording industry agreed with me.

Voices of Angels got another divided reaction. They went really big with the orchestra and had the most classical sound they've put forward in an album. It had quite a bit of energy and was an exciting album to listen to. Some people liked the more grander and more percussive sound. Some people called it soulless and hated how Murphy tried to re-arrange ("butchered") their long-time favourites. I think what he accomplished with Voices of Angels was really impressive. He took some truly beloved Celtic Woman songs and put his own unique spin on them. For the most part, I thought he did a masterful job of re-imagining those songs and putting his own epic stamp on them.

One of the most hurtful reactions I've read is that the girls that Gavin Murphy (and Méav) selected don't have as much heart or aren't talented enough. To me, those are really disrespectful and ignorant things to say. Most of those people listen to the music, but don't know the girls. Either that or they can't get over the fact that their favourite singers are no longer with the group. For some of those fans, Celtic Woman died the moment Lisa Kelly left. Trashing the girls is totally uncalled for. Everyone in Celtic Woman right now is really, REALLY talented and they pour their hearts out for us when they perform.

Some people feel like Murphy's arrangements don't have the same complexity or life to them like David Downes' work did. It's said that "it just sounds ... off" or that "the magic is gone." I kind of understand where those opinions are coming coming from, even if I don't entirely feel the same way. For me Murphy's arrangements are just different. He doesn't try to write music the same way as David Downes. He has his own style. I like it. But some people either don't like his style or can't get into it because the Downes way was perfection ... the best and only way.

One of the most interesting opinions I've read (recently here on the forum and in a few other places) is that David Downes wrote his arrangements specifically for the girls: their strengths, their personalities and and their voices. Gavin Murphy on the other hand writes his arrangements the way he wants them to sound and then has the performers perform them his way. It's speculation (at least in part), but of all the dissenting opinions on Murphy, this one might be the closest to the truth.

Personally, I think Gavin Murphy writes great music. But perhaps the magic that people say has been lost was in David Downes' ability to get the best out of every singer, every instrument, every note. Regarding that, I will say that as much as I have loved almost all the work they've done in the post-Downes era, I do feel sometimes like they're capable of even more.

All that said, I think that Ancient Land is Gavin Murphy's best work. The harmony is intricate, soothing, and at times ethereal. A lot of the backing instrumentals are clever and really beautiful. The turns in County Down, the gorgeous strings in Faith's Song, and the inspired take on Mná Na hÉireann are but a few examples. I thought he made excellent use of the band and a medium-sized orchestra and while the way he leveraged the girls' talents wasn't perfect, I think he did take advantage of a lot of their strengths (even in ways we might not have have expected, in the case of Megan).

There will be people out there that still won't like what he's done in Ancient Land and maintain that Celtic Woman will never have the same life and soul as it did when David Downes was the musical directory. I choose to appreciate all the good aspects of what Gavin Murphy has given us and I'm grateful that we still have beautiful music to listen to, performed by the most wonderful women in the world.

Hopefully I haven't offended anyone with my opinions or in the way I've presented the opinions of others. I just felt like it was important to get a lot of these thoughts organized and hashed out in one place. I do appreciate other people's opinions, even the ones I don't agree with. It's the opinions I disagreed with the most that got me into social media and the forums. They're the reason I started going to see their live shows and most importantly, the reason I came to love Celtic Woman as much as I do today. <3
« Last Edit: October 02, 2018, 12:03:23 AM by CWazyTom » Logged
Tracie
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« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2018, 11:45:25 PM »

This is a very interesting topic and post. I have my own opinions on this subject to write up. It's way too late on a work night for me to try to compose all my thoughts now. Suffice it to say for now that I think it all comes down to each fan's personal opinion and preference as to which of the two they like better. My preference between the two is Gavin Murphy. To put it simply right now (and to be elaborated on later), I'm a fan of everything from the original Celtic Woman album through Emerald. I'm a super, mega, crazy, ultra fan of Destiny, Voices of Angels, Homecoming and Ancient Land. I don't think it's a coincidence that the division for me occurs at the point where Gavin Murphy took over.

I really need to click post now before I stay up way too late writing, but I do want to say that these are my opinions only and I'm not trying at all to offend anyone. I firmly believe in each person's right to their own opinion on every subject. 😃
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c402c1
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« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2020, 10:59:32 PM »

I am new to the CW phenom(March 2020). As I have explored I noticed over time  changes in the performances of CW. I never had an early setting point with them so I can't say when Lisa Kelly left that was the end of CW. From what I can see they have evolved. Which quite frankly if they didn't after 16 years would get boring. Weighing in on the Downes/Murphy controversy. I very much like what both have brought to CW. Downes: big, the performance overcomes the audience, there is an aura that consumes the audience. I like that! Murphy: small, intimate, one feels like the performers are singing to each audience member individually. I like it! it's just different. Under Murphy I think he liked to show case the singers/solo instrumentalists and the orchestra was phenomenal backup. In the end regardless of who ones favorite director is CW is an amazing entity with a heart and connection with the audience.
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dbbii
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« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2020, 05:31:17 PM »

I tend to concur with the comments from c402c1.  My first CW show was back in 2007.  Yes, for a number of years it was what I called a "big" show.  Over the years, they cut back on the choir and band, so yeah, the arrangements were different. 
Evolved is a great term.

David, I think, tended to assign songs based on the individual girls' strength.  One of the issues I saw was when someone left, the new girl, whoever she was, mostly got the same songs.  It may not have played to their strength.  When the show changed and the got the right girl with the right song, it seemed to feel better.

One of the things that changed for the long-term fans was the interaction with the girls.  The old M&G's with only 2 girls allowed you to feel more connected to the performers.   
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GlenS
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« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2020, 05:14:36 PM »

I was watching some of the old dvd shows and they were with David one thing i liked about David is he was always in the show as conductor and played the piano. But i also liked the shows more  with David then with Gavin
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dbbii
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« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2020, 09:31:18 AM »

But remember, David was only playing in the DVD taping.  He was not only tour (except maybe the first one or two shows)
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CWazyTom
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« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2021, 02:17:44 PM »

Many of you may already know this, but fun fact: Gavin Murphy co-wrote, produced, and arranged for Éabha's album Wildflower. He was also closely involved with her demo EP before she was in Celtic Woman.
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