It’s not often that string quartets get the opportunity to release multiple recordings in the same month, which is why we were so excited for March 2020. We were due to release two discs: William Alwyn: String Quartets No. 6,7,8,9 on Lyrita; and our first non-classical music collaboration Spiders Tango on Keda Records. As we made our usual preparations for the album launches, little did we know in the background that a global crisis was brewing.
With our recordings now being released under the spectre of COVID-19, the context gives new meaning to our music. Like many of those in the industry, we see upcoming performances cancelled or postponed, and the future of concerts at stake. Nothing will ever replace the closeness of live music; but as we adjust, we strive to remain connected with our audiences.
When we recorded William Alwyn’s early string quartets over a year ago, we were struck by the precision that Alwyn showed as a young British composer in the 1930s. His sleek writing style, which hovered between lush romanticism to Shostakovich-like sparsity, revealed his stylistic experimentation in each early quartet. His Ninth Quartet struck us particularly – based on text from Romeo and Juliet, Alwyn showcased his early ability to use chamber music for dramatic effect, and to express an emotional narrative. This was a skill he was later to use when writing film scores at the onset of WWII.
Our collaboration with Bhangra composer Kuljit Bhamra, MBE and jazz drummer Davide Giovannini brought us into uncharted territory as a classical ensemble. When we were first approached to do Spiders Tango we didn’t know what to expect. We remained open: what sounds could be created by mixing together a string quartet, Indian tabla, and drums? We were intrigued by this percussion-led music. Rhythm became the organic life force, and it was liberating for us to feel the free-spirited energy of our percussion partners. Kuljit’s string quartet-writing highlighted the lyricism and emotions in the melody. We were fortunate to perform Spiders Tango to an excited audience in Bristol just before the crisis unfolded; when the opportunities to play live for audiences return, we hope to share this positive energy again.
In this current time of uncertainty, we try to remain faithful to the positive power of music, and its ability to help each other with openness, connection, comfort, and hope. Our experiment in music continues.
-The Villiers Quartet
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