Brother Tree Sound, Saturday 28th October 2023
Anna de Bruin and Thea Spiers - violinsPeter Mallinson - viola
Julia Graham - cello
Tickets for this concert are on sale here
Programme:
| Haydn | Quartet No. 53 in D major (“The Lark”), Op.64 no.5 |
| Beethoven | Quartet No. 10 in E flat major (“The Harp”), Op.74 |
| Ben Nobuto | “Skip” |
| Dvořák | Quartet No. 12 in F major (“The American”), Op.96 |
Brother Tree Sound present us with an uplifting programme of music. The concert opens with Haydn's String Quartet No. 53 in D Major, also known as "The Lark." The quartet is named after the lark-like melody in the first movement, which has a bright and cheerful character. The work is a classic example of Haydn's wit and charm as a composer, and it showcases the unique qualities of each instrument in the quartet.
We follow with Beethoven's String Quartet No. 10, "The Harp." The quartet is named after the plucked string effect in the first movement, which creates a harp-like sound. The work is a powerful and emotional masterpiece that showcases Beethoven's revolutionary approach to form and harmony.
After the interval we hear emerging composer Ben Nobuto's piece 'Skip', which Brother Tree Sound commissioned in 2021 - an infectiously fun moment in this programme.
The concert concludes with Dvorak's String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, also known as "The American." The quartet is inspired by Dvorak's experiences in America, and it features folk-based melodies and rhythms that evoke the spirit of the American landscape. The work is a beautiful and poignant tribute to the beauty and diversity of American culture and is one of the favourite pieces in the string quartet repertoire.
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Brother Tree Sound were formed in 2017 and are setting new standards for the string quartet in the 21st century. Their dexterity and versatility as an ensemble and open approach to repertoire sees them connect with and inspire audiences by moving seamlessly from Haydn to Debussy to experimental contemporary music with space for some folk music along the way.
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 new music for a variety of projects. Emerging composer Ben Nobuto wrote 'Skip' for a project which focused on exploring a broad spectrum of emotions which Brother Tree Sound recorded and premiered live in London in 2021. Summer 2022 saw the quartet present a new programme of English music as well as commissioning, writing and arranging music for their new album 'Songs Without Words' which was released in November 2022. Performances during Autumn included a concert for the Brunel University Concert Series and Chapel Royal, Brighton both featuring Schubert's 'Death and the Maiden' quartet which is often described as being one of the pillars of the chamber music repertoire. Recently they co-organised and played for a night of immersive and meditative new music championing no less than 10 composers for Bigo & Twigetti's label night which took place at St James's Clerkenwell.
The group’s first recording, Fiona Brice’s Quartet no.1 (2018) which they premiered in London, has been played on Radio 3’s Late Junction, Night Tracks and BBC Sounds. Their second EP Interstices (2020) has now been streamed over 10 million times across the various listening platforms and saw them continue to innovate by bringing together four quite different styles of music that explore the same intangible idea of finding the spaces between notes, phrases, musical landscape and performers.
