He is a pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger and producer born in Derry, Ireland who was born into a family of 13 children. He took musical studies Edinburgh University in 1993 and then Contemporary Classical Composition at Goldsmith’s College in London in 1996. After his graduation he moved back to Dublin in 1997.
In the 1990s he began a relationship with the singer Camille O’Sullivan and they have since worked together on many shows including TV’s Later Live…With Jools Holland, a performance of “The Rape of Lucrece” in Edinburgh in 2012 and to promote Camille’s album The Changeling at the Southbank centre in London the same year.
His songwriting and compositions has been performed by several artists including the co-written “Still By Your Side” which was a collaboration with Jimmy McCarthy that was commissioned by The Celtic Tenors. He has also seen his work gain success on the US, UK and Irish album charts and been nominated for a Grammy Award on an album by Moya Brennan.
He has toured on a national and international level and worked with many successful artists such as Mike Batt, Paul Carrack, Celtic Woman, Tony Christie, The Dubliners, Georgie Fame, James Galway, Graham Gouldman, Nanci Griffith, Steve Harley, Justin Hayward, Ronan Keating, Nick Lowe, Dougie MacLean, Ralph McTell, Hazel O’Connor, John Prine, Eddie Reader, Leo Sayer, Tanita Tikaram, Midge Ure, Amy Winehouse and Roy Wood and also performed as a pianist at the funeral of the acclaimed Irish footballer George Best.
His work as a musician, arranger and/or composer has appeared on several albums including Two Horizons by Moya Brennan, We Are Not Islands by The Celtic Tenors, Timeless Tranquility: 20 Year Celebration by Phil Coulter, Distant Shore by Orla Fallon, George Best – A Tribute by Brian Kennedy and Peter Corry, Simpatico by Cathy Jordan, And So the Story Goes by George Murphy, Samantha Sings Christmas by Samantha Mumba, House of the Dolphins by Melanie O’Reilly, A Little Yearning by Camille O’Sullivan and Triniti by Triniti. He is also listed as the choir director on the video A Christmas Celebration: Live From Dublin.
The Celtic Tenors recordings
Still By Your Side (Jimmy MacCarthy/Feargal Murray)
Telarc 80667 (CD: Remember Me)
Sources:
- http://feargalmurray.com/#/?=bio
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-feargal-murray–camille-osullivan-8050294.html
- http://bloggingshakespeare.com/year-of-shakespeare-the-rape-of-lucrece
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Feargal+Murray
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/feargal-murray-mn0000989411
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5305814/