Paris: Les Six in Montmatre
Brother Tree Sound string quartet
Anne de Bruin – violin
Thea Spiers – violin
Triona Milne – viola
Julia Graham - cello
The concert is at 7:30pm on Saturday 29th November 2025 at Amersham Free Church. Tickets can be bought on-line here or on the door.
Programme:
We are delighted to welcome Chiltern based string quartet Brother Tree Sound back to Amersham. This time, they play a programme of early French 20th century quartets, and we mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Ravel with his exquisite and atmospheric string quartet which is included in the programme.
The inter-war period in Europe was one of fresh approaches and experimental thinking in the arts. Les Six met, revelled and exchanged their ideas with artists, writers poets and musicians such as Satie and Cocteau in Montmatre, Paris. We have three string quartets from Les Six in the programme, in addition to the Ravel, all written around the period 1917-18. Ravel’s string quartet, with its jazzy influences, is reflected in his pupil Germain Tailleferre's quartet. Tailleferre was the only woman in Les Six.
A much neglected quartet by Les Six member Louise Durey, who in turn was greatly influenced after hearing Debussy's string quartet, provides something new for our audience. Darius Milhaud’s fourth quartet (he wrote eighteen in total!) is a short piece in three movements which reflects his innovative spirit and diverse influences.
Brother Tree Sound released a well-received album in 2025 of this programme, called “Quartets Through a Time of Change”. This can be purchased as a CD or listened to on various streaming platforms here.
********
“Vivid and intense... Wild and unfettered...Terrific disc” The Arts Desk
“An intriguing way of reframing a very famous piece by a very famous composer” Andrew McGregor BBC Radio 3 Record Review
“A beautiful version of the Ravel. An exciting new recording from Brother Tree Sound” Radio France
********
Brother Tree Sound is a trailblazing string quartet with a passion for inspiring audiences through their scintillating performances. They have now released three albums, generating over 10 million streams worldwide, and are recent recipients of the prestigious Vaughan Williams Foundation grant. They have given numerous performances in music clubs, on concert platforms, at classical music festivals, outdoor stages and folk music clubs in recent years.
As well as the traditional repertoire, Brother Tree Sound are dedicated to the performance of new music, the group regularly commissions new works from established and emerging composers. Their Vaughan Williams Foundation grant has enabled them to commission Philharmonic Society prizewinning composer Ben Nobuto to write a piece for string quartet and horn as part of an ongoing project partnering with Ben Goldscheider. A number of their projects have been generously supported by the Herbert Howells Trust, Cavatina Trust and Watford Palace Theatre and ACE.
By encouraging new ways of listening and collectively interpreting the landscape and language of classical music in the 21st century, the groups dexterity as an ensemble and their open approach to creating projects allows them to move seamlessly from the great pillars of the string quartet repertoire to experimental music with space for some of their own arrangements of folk music along the way.
The group have recently released their album of early 20th century French quartets by Ravel, Tailleferre, Milhaud and Durey with First Hand records, winning high praise from the critics. Brother Tree Sound have become fascinated with this transitional period of music. The album release coincides with Ravel’s 150th birthday Anniversary with a concert to mark this occasion.
The quartet has a deep connection to folk music and in October 2024 they released their album Maid on the Shore. Here they are delving further into the rich and fascinating world of traditional folk songs from England, Ireland and Wales. Their heartfelt arrangements are driven by personal connections to the timeless traditions, stories and landscapes. The album includes well-known songs as well as uncovering a few hidden gems.
Members of Brother Tree Sound have played in chamber ensembles in many of London’s best loved venues including the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Conway Hall. It is their love of the powerful intimacy of the string quartet that has brought them together and sees them continue their journey.
Over the past few seasons the quartet has recorded, made videos and commissioned music for a variety of projects. They released their hugely successful EP Interstices, in 2020 which has had worldwide success. Naming it after the Latin for 'The Space Between' the idea was to bring together four quite different styles of music that explore the same intangible idea of finding the spaces between notes, phrases, musical landscape and performers. The EP has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 a number of times.
Always searching for new audiences, the quartet released their album Songs Without Words in 2022. An album review from blogger 'Stationary Travels' writes: 'They found time to create an intimate record featuring their own composition which highlights their considerable prowess as arrangers and performers as well. The album abounds in intimate, ethereal beauty while occasionally showing playful glimpses of their self-confessed “eclectic tendencies”.
Brother Tree Sound string quartet
Anne de Bruin – violin
Thea Spiers – violin
Triona Milne – viola
Julia Graham - cello
The concert is at 7:30pm on Saturday 29th November 2025 at Amersham Free Church. Tickets can be bought on-line here or on the door.
Programme:
| Germaine Tailleferre | String Quartet (1917-1919) |
| Maurice Ravel | String Quartet in F major (1903) |
| Interval | |
| Louis Durey | String Quartet No. 1, Op. 10 (1917) |
| Darius Milhaud | String Quartet No. 4, Op. 46 (1918) |
We are delighted to welcome Chiltern based string quartet Brother Tree Sound back to Amersham. This time, they play a programme of early French 20th century quartets, and we mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Ravel with his exquisite and atmospheric string quartet which is included in the programme.
The inter-war period in Europe was one of fresh approaches and experimental thinking in the arts. Les Six met, revelled and exchanged their ideas with artists, writers poets and musicians such as Satie and Cocteau in Montmatre, Paris. We have three string quartets from Les Six in the programme, in addition to the Ravel, all written around the period 1917-18. Ravel’s string quartet, with its jazzy influences, is reflected in his pupil Germain Tailleferre's quartet. Tailleferre was the only woman in Les Six.
A much neglected quartet by Les Six member Louise Durey, who in turn was greatly influenced after hearing Debussy's string quartet, provides something new for our audience. Darius Milhaud’s fourth quartet (he wrote eighteen in total!) is a short piece in three movements which reflects his innovative spirit and diverse influences.
Brother Tree Sound released a well-received album in 2025 of this programme, called “Quartets Through a Time of Change”. This can be purchased as a CD or listened to on various streaming platforms here.
********
“Vivid and intense... Wild and unfettered...Terrific disc” The Arts Desk
“An intriguing way of reframing a very famous piece by a very famous composer” Andrew McGregor BBC Radio 3 Record Review
“A beautiful version of the Ravel. An exciting new recording from Brother Tree Sound” Radio France
********
Brother Tree Sound is a trailblazing string quartet with a passion for inspiring audiences through their scintillating performances. They have now released three albums, generating over 10 million streams worldwide, and are recent recipients of the prestigious Vaughan Williams Foundation grant. They have given numerous performances in music clubs, on concert platforms, at classical music festivals, outdoor stages and folk music clubs in recent years.
As well as the traditional repertoire, Brother Tree Sound are dedicated to the performance of new music, the group regularly commissions new works from established and emerging composers. Their Vaughan Williams Foundation grant has enabled them to commission Philharmonic Society prizewinning composer Ben Nobuto to write a piece for string quartet and horn as part of an ongoing project partnering with Ben Goldscheider. A number of their projects have been generously supported by the Herbert Howells Trust, Cavatina Trust and Watford Palace Theatre and ACE.
By encouraging new ways of listening and collectively interpreting the landscape and language of classical music in the 21st century, the groups dexterity as an ensemble and their open approach to creating projects allows them to move seamlessly from the great pillars of the string quartet repertoire to experimental music with space for some of their own arrangements of folk music along the way.
The group have recently released their album of early 20th century French quartets by Ravel, Tailleferre, Milhaud and Durey with First Hand records, winning high praise from the critics. Brother Tree Sound have become fascinated with this transitional period of music. The album release coincides with Ravel’s 150th birthday Anniversary with a concert to mark this occasion.
The quartet has a deep connection to folk music and in October 2024 they released their album Maid on the Shore. Here they are delving further into the rich and fascinating world of traditional folk songs from England, Ireland and Wales. Their heartfelt arrangements are driven by personal connections to the timeless traditions, stories and landscapes. The album includes well-known songs as well as uncovering a few hidden gems.
Members of Brother Tree Sound have played in chamber ensembles in many of London’s best loved venues including the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Conway Hall. It is their love of the powerful intimacy of the string quartet that has brought them together and sees them continue their journey.
Over the past few seasons the quartet has recorded, made videos and commissioned music for a variety of projects. They released their hugely successful EP Interstices, in 2020 which has had worldwide success. Naming it after the Latin for 'The Space Between' the idea was to bring together four quite different styles of music that explore the same intangible idea of finding the spaces between notes, phrases, musical landscape and performers. The EP has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 a number of times.
Always searching for new audiences, the quartet released their album Songs Without Words in 2022. An album review from blogger 'Stationary Travels' writes: 'They found time to create an intimate record featuring their own composition which highlights their considerable prowess as arrangers and performers as well. The album abounds in intimate, ethereal beauty while occasionally showing playful glimpses of their self-confessed “eclectic tendencies”.
