Charlotte Bray
'Hoving my music recorded and released Recordings for the first time by NMC has made a fantastic contribution to my career'.
NMC at 35: Some words from Colin Matthews
22nd August 2024
Articles NMC RecordingsNMC Founder & Executive Producer shares some insight into NMC's history, and how after 35 years, NMC is looking to the future. Colin writes:
Back in 1988 when we were struggling to get approval for establishing NMC Recordings as a charity (until we showed them our projected accounts the Charity Commissioners had assumed that record companies only existed to make money!) no one would have believed that 36 years later we would have a catalogue of over 300 albums. Nor that we would represent more than 550 composers between our own label and the 5 labels that we distribute. And of course we didn't anticipate downloads and streaming, which now play such a large part in what we offer.
The 35th anniversary of our first releases gives us an opportunity both to reflect on past achievements and to look to the future. Our original mission was to fill the huge gap in the recording of living British and Irish composers, an area which at the time the major labels largely ignored. But we have gradually expanded to include significant 20th century composers - previously unrecorded music by Britten, Tippett and Elgar for instance - while making compilations for the younger generation who are not yet ready for a complete album to themselves.
Debut Discs provide the next step, where we also help composers with career development - to quote two of them:
Edmund Finnis
'Having my music recorded by a wide range of exceptional musicians and released by NMC has been a significant milestone in my development as a composer'.
All income from our recordings is ploughed back into the label, although we're well aware that very few discs break even, and fewer still make a profit. Our amazing small team work wonders, but we are so grateful for the generosity of our many supporters and friends, who do so much to help us on what has been - and will continue to be - an extraordinary journey.
Colin Matthews
