Label news: UK classical firm is sold to Texas

The Divine Art Recordings Group, specialising in clerical, quirky and unexpected music, has been bought overnight by First Inversion, LLC, of Fort Worth, Texas.

Stared in a Northumberland village church in 1992 by an enterprising lawyer, Stephen Sutton, Divine explored byways of British and world music that bigger labels feared to touch. Over time it acquired seven more labels and a small army of regular artists.

Sutton explains: ‘The decision to hand over the Divine Art business was made with very divided emotions, as I still have as much ambition and enthusiasm as I did in my 30s and can see a successful future ahead, thanks to the wonderful talent and inspired work of our composers and performing artists. I started the venture to make a cassette (remember them?) as a fund-raiser for our local church organ restoration [the result being the album later released on CD as “Organ in the Hills”] and it remained an expensive hobby alongside my day job until I made it my full time occupation in 2005 from when the growth of the catalogue has been far more than I ever expected. However, I feel that the time is right to take a belated retirement and entrust the company to David who has managed our international marketing for many years and who I believe will drive our labels onwards and upwards with a better rapport with the ever changing digital distribution and social media world. I am hopeful that I can contribute in the future in some form or other.’

First Inversion’s companies include Rosebrook Classical and Rosebrook Media, founded by CEO David Weuste in 2009. They offer marketing services for performing arts organizations across the US.