Download flyer

Some of the greatest English composers have written beautiful music just for strings.

We present music mostly from the 20th Century by some of England’s finest – Elgar, Walton and Vaughan Williams – and by a less well-known contemporary – Finzi.

Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings dates from 1892 and is a well-loved example of the genre. 

William Walton wrote concert music but also composed for many films and we will play two short pieces from his music for the film of Shakespeare s Henry V, made in 1944 and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. 

Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote many different types of music and our choice for this concert is one of the more unusual – a theme from 16th Century English composer Thomas Tallis is the basis for a set of variations performed by three separate groups of strings. 

Our guest soloist is local musician Rob Blanken who will perform the Clarinet Concerto by Gerald Finzi.  Written in 1949 it is unusual in using only strings instead of full orchestra to complement the solo clarinet.