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Traverser by Rebecca Murphy and Cahal Masterson

Rebecca Murphy and Cahal Masterson are frequent collaborators on the Song and Concert platform, having met in 2020 to record Anselm McDonnell's second album Kraina. The duo then developed a love for bringing new music to audiences across Ireland and beyond. In recent years they have developed a fascination with performing in languages that reflect the identity and culture of their native Northern Ireland in the twenty-first Century : English, Irish, and Polish. This album reflects Rebecca's own journey with the themes of escapism, travel, and nostalgia through music. Having fallen in love with the dream-like songs of Szymanowski, the poignant imagery of loneliness explored through Chopin, and the weaving melodies of longing experienced in Jonathan Nangle's Snáth, this selection felt like the perfect fit for this, her debut album.

Tracklist
1.Chopin - Polish Songs, Op. 74: No. 6 Out of My Sight3:35
2.Nangle - Snáth: No. 2 Snáth2:39
3.Chopin - Polish Songs, Op.74: No. 3 Sad River3:30
4.Chopin - Polish Songs, Op.74: No. 10 Warrior2:37
5.Faure - 4 Songs, Op.39: No.4 Les Roses d'Ispahan3:28
6.Berlioz - Les Nuits d'été, Op.7, H81b: No. 2 Le Spectre de la Rose5:56
7.Szymanowski - 6 Songs of the Fairytale Princess, Op.31: No. 1 Lonely Moon3:57
8.Szymanowski - 6 Songs of the Fairytale Princess, Op.31: No. 2 Golden Slippers2:50
9.Szymanowski - 6 Songs of the Fairytale Princess, Op.31: No. 4 A Dance2:12
10.Szymanowski - 6 Songs of the Fairytale Princess, Op.31: No. 5 The Song of the Wave3:45
11.Trad: Shule Agra2:45
12.McDonnell - Traverser la Blancheur3:36
Credits
released March 17, 2025

Soprano - Rebecca Murphy
Piano - Cahal Masterson
(With special recording permission from Anselm McDonnell and Jonathan Nangle)
Recorded by Cormac O'Kane and Richard Brown (RedBox Studios)
Produced by Anselm McDonnell
Recorded at Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast
Photography - Kalie Reid and Conor Toal
Funded by the Arts Council Northern Ireland
LicenseAll rights reserved.
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Northern Irish Soprano, Rebecca Murphy, hailed by Opera Journal for her ‘stunning delivery’, is making waves across the UK and Europe on both the concert and operatic platforms.
She works regularly with composers including Anselm McDonnell and Conor Mitchell. Working closely with duo-partner, pianist Cahal Masterson, she has also featured on Anselm McDonnell’s album, Kraina.

rebecca-murphy.com