About us

James Murray is a well known musical consultant, writer and musicologist who has now set up Kernow Classics, drawing on years of experience and expertise in the classical music field. Based in Cornwall, the Midlands and London, James' particular expertise and research interests in performance history and classical and vocal recordings have been drawn upon by those within the film and advertising industries, opera companies and major record labels.

James lived and studied in Florence and Salzburg where he immersed himself in the musical and cultural life of those cities as he did later in London, where he sang with various companies, participating in many different British premieres. His musical tastes were fashioned at an early age by Gilbert and Sullivan (he was renowned at the tender age of 6 for his ability to recite whole G and S operettas!) and by the Furtwängler film of Don Giovanni which he saw whilst at primary school. His love of vocal music and opera continues to this day; privileged to see various legendary performances at sundry major European opera houses he was also fortunate to work at Glyndebourne, the source of many amusing backstage stories.

Having long wanted to relocate to Cornwall it finally took his son winning a Choral Scholarship to Truro Cathedral to force the family into moving to the Duchy. Charlie ended his choristership triumphantly as Head Chorister with an extremely successful Cathedral Choir tour to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein in 2004. Having been back at the Cathedral as a Truro Cathedral Choral Scholar whilst doing his A Levels, he is now at York University, and is a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Our daughter Morwenna is a leading light of the Cornwall Youth Theatre which recently opened the 'Darke Visions' Festival, an eighteen month festival celebrating the work of the Cornish playwright Nick Darke. Morwenna played Gonnieta (Antigone) in the revival of his Hell's Mouth to much acclaim.

The setting up of Kernow Classics on the internet had a long genesis but has been finally realised with this website. Long experience as an opera singer, record collector, retailer, freelance writer and researcher, teacher and consultant within classical music is now married to the selling of LPs and a record cleaning service matched by friendly helpful and informed service.

We strive to ensure that Kernow Classics is the source of choice for classical music matters.