Last night mastering engineers Christian Wright and Oli Morgan had the pleasure of cutting the first live orchestral performance of Max Richter's original Hamnet score live to vinyl here in Room 5, receiving audio direct from Southwark Cathedral.

"Live to vinyl returns us to the origins of recorded music where with one live take we capture the music direct to a cutting lathe. This was such a unique and exciting performance to be a part of. Max's music has such emotional depth and to both manage the experience for the audience in the cathedral whilst cutting in Room 5 Abbey Road we had a live video from the cathedral performance 'side of 'stage'. This heightened the magic of what was a wonderful evening for the Abbey Road team." - Christian Wright

Composer Max Richter gave the first live performance of music from his multi-award nominated original score for Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed feature film Hamnet. At an exclusive industry event presented by Decca Records at Southwark Cathedral, actor Emily Watson (who plays Mary Shakespeare in the film) welcomed a packed room of guests from the film and music worlds to the reception, leading an onstage Q&A with Max Richter, followed by a special performance of selected music from the film by a 60-piece orchestra.

This one-off performance, entitled Of Heaven & Earth was, simultaneously, recorded live and cut straight to vinyl remotely by Abbey Road Studios, a copy of which will be presented to each attendee within a few days – a technical feat.

Upon its release, the score (out now on Decca) was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning nominations for both the Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards, as well as a shortlist placement for the Academy Awards. Max Richter’s contribution to the film has also been lauded by members of the Hamnet cast and crew.

Discussing his work on the soundtrack, Richter explained: “In composing the score for Hamnet, I decided to use the basic atoms of Elizabethan musical practice; the period instrumentation, grammar and sensibility of the time, but to apply these materials in a way that springs directly from the psychology of the story.”

President of Decca Records, Laura Monks, said, "The partnership that Decca has built with Max and his team makes celebrating these moments in his career incredibly special. We were thrilled that so many people came to celebrate his craft and the special connection between Chloe, Jessie, Paul and the whole team on Hamnet."

One the most influential composers of his generation, Richter is known for his ability to seamlessly blend traditional orchestrations with modern electronic elements, a hallmark that runs throughout the sweeping and powerful Hamnet score. His unparalleled ability to translate profound human experiences into musical compositions has earned him a dedicated global following, with his catalogue amassing over three billion streams to date. Hamnet marks one of more than 50 projects that Richter has scored, following collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, and Ari Folman in previous years.

Max Richter was awarded a CBE in the 2026 New Years Honours list for Services to Music.