Greater London

A unique programme of Ayanna Witter-Johnson's classical works performed by Ayanna and a variety of friends and guest performers including Jess Gillam, Solem Quartet, Ligeti Quartet, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Baker, Thea Sayer, Héloïse Werner and Marianne Schofield. A British-born Jamaican, her music is a body of work that represents, celebrates and pays homage to her ancestral heritage, culture and identity.

The evening will include the world premiere of 'Island Suite', written by Ayanna for the Solem Quartet. 

With Anthony Friend (clarinet)
Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581
Shostakovich Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110
Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, op. 115

Mozart: Duo for violin and viola in G major, K 423 – Martyn Jackson (violin) and Annie Beilby (viola)

Peteris Vasks: String quartet No 2, “Summer Tunes” – Solem Quartet

Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20 – Solem Quartet, plus Martyn Jackson and Ionel Manciu (violins), Annie Beilby (viola) and Leo Poppelwell (cello)

Mozart: Duo for violin and viola in G major, K 423 – Martyn Jackson (violin) and Annie Beilby (viola)

Peteris Vasks: String quartet No 2, “Summer Tunes” – Solem Quartet

Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20 – Solem Quartet, plus Martyn Jackson and Ionel Manciu (violins), Annie Beilby (viola) and Leo Poppelwell (cello)

From 1-15 September 2020, the Bandstand Chamber Festival and Wandsworth Council will present a high-quality series of free, outdoor chamber music concerts. The performances will be part of the Love Parks Wandsworth campaign, which encourages residents to enjoy their local greenspace. There will be four top string quartets, performing some of the greatest pieces of classical music to a socially-distanced audience in Battersea Park, using the beautiful Victorian bandstand as a stage.

Haydn Quartet no. 65 in E flat major, op. 76, no. 6, Hob.III:80
Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, op. 115

On air from about 5.05 pm

Beethoven Finale from Quartet no. 13 in B flat major, op. 130
Price Summer Moon, arr. William Newell
Adès Days, from The Four Quarters

Miller Warblework
Greenwood Suite from There will be Blood (UK Premiere)

Miller Warblework
Greenwood Suite from There will be Blood

The Solem Quartet present the first part of their groundbreaking series Beethoven Bartók Now: Night Music, featuring new work by Aaron Parker.

Beethoven Quartet no. 13 op. 130 | Bartók Quartet no. 5 | Aaron Parker tuóretu

Reveries:

Henry Purcell By Beauteous Softness Mix’d with Majesty, from Now does the glorious day appear, arr. Amy Tress
Henry Purcell/Ivor Gurney Thy Hand Belinda/Sleep, arr. William Newell
Cassandra Miller Hermit Thrush, from Warblework
Robert Schumann Child Falling Asleep, op. 15, no. 12, from Kinderszenen, arr. William Newell
Trad. Ca' the Yowes, arr. Steph Tress

Ludwig van Beethoven Quartet no. 12 in E flat major, op. 127

Inside the String Quartet

We’re all remarkably good at hiding how classical music is made, with most rehearsals off limits from public eyes and ears. Recently the RPS has created opportunities to join several celebrated singers and pianists as they rehearse. Now, for the first time, we invite you to see how a string quartet works together in shaping music for the stage.

Clara Schumann Three Romances, op. 22, arr. Amy Tress
Bartók String Quartet no. 1, BB 52
Beethoven Quartet no. 14 in C sharp minor, op. 131

BBN 2: 'Song & Dance'

Beethoven Bartók Now: Song & Dance is a one-hour journey of music and movement, using those most intrinsic and instinctive aspects of human creativity - song and dance - as a springboard.

The performance piece, the culmination of the collaboration between the Solem Quartet and students from Trinity Laban’s CoLab project, will be presented in playlist form, interweaving individual movements from Bartók’s folk-driven 4th Quartet, Beethoven’s monumental op. 127, newly created content, and a world premiere from composer Jasmine Morris inspired by Butoh dance.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness this exciting and original performance piece.

Beethoven Bartók Now is a ground-breaking project from the Solem Quartet, one of the most innovative quartets of their generation, which brings together the late quartets of Beethoven and the quartets of Béla Bartók, uniquely reimagined with music from composers of today.

This part of the evening draws on repertoire from Bartók’s Quartet no. 4, Beethoven’s Quartet no. 12, op. 127 and Jasmine Morris’ Hitogata (world premiere).

Before the Beethoven Bartók Now: Song & Dance event, Professor Bruno Heinen and students derive a contemporary improvising perspective on Béla Bartók's final set of Mikrokosmos. The group will use the last book of Mikrokosmos as a starting point for a new set of pieces that tell the story of our collective relationship with child-like improvisation.

There will be a break between the evening’s two performances and the Bar at Blackheath Halls will be open.

BBN 2: ‘Song & Dance’

Beethoven Bartók Now: Song & Dance is a one-hour journey of music and movement, using those most intrinsic and instinctive aspects of human creativity – song and dance – as a springboard.

The performance piece, the culmination of the collaboration between the Solem Quartet and students from Trinity Laban’s CoLab project, will be presented in playlist form, interweaving individual movements from Bartók’s folk-driven 4th Quartet, Beethoven’s monumental op. 127, newly created content, and a world premiere from composer Jasmine Morris inspired by Butoh dance.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness this exciting and original performance piece.

Beethoven Bartók Now is a ground-breaking project from the Solem Quartet, one of the most innovative quartets of their generation, which brings together the late quartets of Beethoven and the quartets of Béla Bartók, uniquely reimagined with music from composers of today.

This part of the evening draws on repertoire from Bartók’s Quartet no. 4, Beethoven’s Quartet no. 12, op. 127 and Jasmine Morris’ Hitogata (world premiere).

Before the Beethoven Bartók Now: Song & Dance event, Professor Bruno Heinen and students derive a contemporary improvising perspective on Béla Bartók’s final set of Mikrokosmos. The group will use the last book of Mikrokosmos as a starting point for a new set of pieces that tell the story of our collective relationship with child-like improvisation.

There will be a break between the evening’s two performances and the Bar at Blackheath Halls will be open.

Solem Quartet and Anthony Friend (clarinet)

Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3
Coleridge-Taylor Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, op. 10

Solem Quartet and Anthony Friend (clarinet)

Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3
Coleridge-Taylor Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, op. 10

During the programme, the Quartet will play:
1st mvt of Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3

Cassandra Miller ‘Veery’, from Warblework

Schumann No 1, from Three Romances for violin and piano, op.22, arr. Amy Tress

A unique programme of Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s classical works performed by Ayanna and a variety of friends and guest performers including Jess Gillam, Solem Quartet, Ligeti Quartet, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Baker, Thea Sayer, Héloïse Werner and Marianne Schofield. A British-born Jamaican, her music is a body of work that represents, celebrates and pays homage to her ancestral heritage, culture and identity.

The evening will include the world premiere of ‘Island Suite’, written by Ayanna for the Solem Quartet. 

David John Roche A Prayer at the Edge of Silence
Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3
Ludwig van Beethoven Quartet in C sharp minor, op. 131

David John Roche A Prayer at the Edge of Silence
Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3
Ludwig van Beethoven Quartet in C sharp minor, op. 131

Beethoven Bartók Now: Experiments

Part of the Solem Quartet’s Beethoven Bartók Now series, BBN: Experiments features a new work from one of the brightest stars of the music world, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, who will perform live in collaboration with the Solem Quartet. Her piece takes inspiration from Jamaican folk song to create a work that defies genre.

The programme will also feature experimental works from two historic composers: in the Grosse Fugue, Beethoven pushed boundaries creating ‘music that will be contemporary forever’ according to Stravinsky, while Bartók’s Third Quartet sees the composer finding his true voice, channelling the Eastern-European folk music he so loved.

Beethoven Bartók Now: Experiments

Part of the Solem Quartet’s Beethoven Bartók Now series, BBN: Experiments features a new work from one of the brightest stars of the music world, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, who will perform live in collaboration with the Solem Quartet. Her piece takes inspiration from Jamaican folk song to create a work that defies genre.

The programme will also feature experimental works from two historic composers: in the Grosse Fugue, Beethoven pushed boundaries creating ‘music that will be contemporary forever’ according to Stravinsky, while Bartók’s Third Quartet sees the composer finding his true voice, channelling the Eastern-European folk music he so loved.

Supported by the RPS

Workshop
Will also be available online

A chance for composers of all ages & backgrounds to delve into the contemporary string quartet world with the Solem Quartet! LIVE & ONLINE

Book tickets here.

BBN: Writing for Quartet returns! Come and have excerpts from your work performed and workshopped, hear your ideas tried out, and meet like-minded composers and colleagues. Join us live in person at the Royal Overseas League, London, or online via Zoom.

Composers of all ages, levels, and backgrounds are encouraged to join us. We will be taking questions, demonstrating techniques, and performing short excerpts of submitted works.

Writing for Quartet is part of the Solem Quartet’s celebrated series championing contemporary string quartet writing, Beethoven Bartók Now, and is kindly supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Royal Overseas League.

This is a free event – but reserving a free ticket (live or online) is essential. The Zoom link will become available just before the event.

If you would like us to play a short segment of a work you are writing, and are happy for that work to be discussed in an online public forum, please submit your work in advance following the steps below:

– As an attachment(s), please include score and parts as appropriate clearly labelled – please note we play from iPads!

– Please start the subject line with “W4Q”

– Send your work to [email protected]

The deadline for submitted excerpts is 10pm (UK time) on Friday 23rd September 2022.

Please note that we will not be able to include all submitted excerpts but will aim to play as many as possible. The inclusion or not of any work is not a judgment on quality – we will try to choose a wide range of works to display of a variety of styles, techniques, challenges etc. across the whole workshop.

Follow us! @solemquartet

Find out more at: solemquartet.co.uk/bbn

Clara Schumann: Three Romances for violin and piano, op.22
Henriëtte Bosmans: String Quartet
John Metcalf: String Quartet, Towards Silence
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet no. 5 in E flat major, op. 44, no. 3

The Solem Quartet chat to Sean Rafferty about their ongoing residency at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, ahead of their next two concerts on the 24th and 25th May.
Joined by the singer Alice Zawadzki, they will perform one of the Kate Bush songs specially arranged (commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival) for string quartet and voice by Solem Quartet member William Newell. The full set will be performed at the festival’s late-night concert on the 24th May, Solem Quartet Late.
In Tune listeners will also be able to hear, for the very first time, part of Edmund Finnis’s new string Quartet, Devotions, commissioned by the Solem Quartet and receiving its premiere concert performance at the festival on the 25th May, as part of Beethoven Bartók Now: Life Episodes.

Oliver Zeffman conducts an ensemble featuring the Solem Quartet, harpischordist Pawel Siwczak and contralto Mae Heydorn in music by:

Handel
Duphly
Caroline Shaw
Henriëtte Bosmans

This concert is a preview of Classical Pride, the first Pride concert given by a major orchestra in Europe, sponsored by Sotheby’s. Taking place at the Barbican on 7 July – presented by Nick Grimshaw – Oliver Zeffman will conduct the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, an LGBTQ+ community chorus and world renowned soloists in a programme of Bernstein, Poulenc, Tchaikovsky, Caroline Shaw and a world premiere by Julian Anderson.

Reserve a place for 30th June

Steve Reich: Different Trains
Kate Bush, arr. William Newell: A selection of her songs

This is a one-hour concert without interval followed by a three-course dinner. Doors open at 6:00 for drinks, concert starts at 6:30pm.

Claude Debussy: Quartet in G Minor, op. 10
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581

Laurence Osborn Day

Henriëtte Bosmans: String Quartet
Laurence Osborn: Lakes, Mists, Bats, Daggers and Fountains (premere)
Leos Janáček: String Quartet no. 1, Kreutzer

Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet in A minor, op. 132, 1st movement
Lili Boulanger, arr. William Newell: Nocturne
Edmund Finnis: String Quartet no. 3, Devotions, movement 6

Edmund Finnis: String Quartet no. 3, Devotions (London premiere)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet in A minor, op. 132

Claude Debussy: Quartet in G Minor, op. 10
Bela Bartók: Quartet no. 3, BB 93
Interval
Lili Boulanger, arr. William Newell: Deux morceaux, arranged for string quartet
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quintet no. 1 in A major, op. 18

The Solem Quartet join cellist/composer Philip Sheppard for Sleeping at Last’s UK debut.

Steve Reich: Different Trains
Kate Bush, arr. William Newell: A selection of her songs

Sleeping at Last, Solem Quartet and cellist/composer Philip Sheppard

Sleeping At Last, the stage moniker of Chicago-based singer, producer and composer Ryan O’Neal, has captivated worldwide listeners for the past 12 years with its enchanting and emotive sound.

O’Neal is known for his ability to craft introspective and cinematic compositions, which have featured in films and series including The Fault in Our Stars, The Twilight Saga and Grey’s Anatomy.

Over the last decade, O’Neal has released three full-length albums, performed with the likes of Alanis Morissette and Christina Perri, scored the feature documentary film Many Beautiful Things, and recorded a podcast in which he explains the process and inspiration behind his music, one song at a time.

In this performance, he shares music from his Atlas project, which has spanned the past 11 years and seen him release an ongoing series of EPs and garner a loyal following.

With Emile Souvagie (clarinet)

Nadia Boulanger, arr. Amy Tress: Three Pieces for cello and piano, arranged for string quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet no. 16 in F major, op. 135
Interval
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581

Hildegard von Bingen: O quam mirabilis est
Cassandra Miller: Warblework
John Metcalf: String Quartet, Towards Silence
Interval
Nick Martin: Queer Tears
Meredith Monk: Stringsongs
Max Richter: On the Nature of Daylight