The Primavera String Quartet

It's pretty rare to find two whole string quartets in your back garden at the same time.  Lucky Cressida Nash is 50 tomorrow and we are descending in her honour to play the Mendelssohn Octet, it's a fantastic piece and a great honour and a privilege to play for her.  She's on 2nd cello by the way.  Also looking forward to a little ceilidh gig with our barndance band Hares on the Mountain tomorrow at Horningsham Village Hall.

A great gig this weekend at Mells Church, what a fantastic space, followed by drinks reception at the Talbot pub next door.  Thanks Mark and Kate for making us so welcome and of course Mrs Inch at the Church, what a treasure.  I'm still looking for a new violin, I've tried about fifty violins since I started looking, but haven't quite found the one that goes PING.  I've just spent the week with a Joseph Hel which was utterly enormous, a massive sound, the complete opposite of my old English viola.  It felt a bit like arriving at a party with a slightly hysterical friend, and working very hard to keep her under control all night.  Probably just more of an orchestral instrument. 
Found this gem: http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=12923
"Posted on February 28, 2010 at 01:11 AM My violin teacher in the late 1950s, Laurence Turner, had a Strad as his main instrument but he also had a Joseph Hel which he used as leader of the Halle Orchestra under Barbirolli.
Laurence said that in some ways he preferred his Hel. I now know what he means as the typical Hel sound is very clear, projects well, is untemperemental, and can be easier to play as it speaks instantly and can be therefore more efficiently monitored."
So here I am, still playing my little ancient Italian, found at an auction many years ago, and the good news is it's sounding better and better.  I even used it for band practice on Friday... Tumbleweed Jim - our next gig is for Acoustic Plus at the Cheese and Grain, Frome on May 21st... Anything could happen.

After 22 years with my old German violin I'm finally ready for a change (mid-life crisis?).  The wolf note has moved from a flattish G sharp on the G string to a plum E natural in third position on the G string.  NOT OKAY!  So I've been visiting Andrew Hooker www.aviolin.com, the lovely Michaela Wedermeyer in Frome and if my guru, Andrea Green, and I can wangle a day off we're going on an immense jolly to the violin dealers in LONDON.  Maybe Bridgewood and Neitzert in Stoke Newington and maybe Beares.  It's the most fun I've had for ages and pretty cheap for a mid-life crisis, well, cheaper than an e type.

I've just uploaded the complete repertoire list in PDF format here... or you can view it online on our repertoire page.  ENJOY!

It's something we just never get round to doing but we'll be taking time out on Sunday for a quick photo shoot at Orchardleigh and fingers crossed we'll have our seriously beautiful fizzgogs up here for your amusement and delight in the coming weeks. 

Hi - It's been a really really busy February with lots of playing, performing and rehearsing.  We've got all our new repertoire on board - including fantastic new arrangements of Sweet Dreams are Made of This, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, La Cumparsita, and SEVEN new Beatles numbers courtesy of our lovely friend Matthew Naughtin out in San Francisco.  A busy weekend ahead... Seona and Andrea will be starring at the Witham Talent Show on Saturday night - the long-awaited return of a fantastic community event; and on Sunday the whole quartet will be performing at the Orchardleigh Wedding Fair from 12-5pm at Orchardleigh House near Frome.  It's our third year at Orchardleigh and it's always a fantastic event, packed with lovely people and a huge array of stands.  As usual we'll be bringing George Pritchard our favourite schmoozer to persuade you all to book us to play at your forthcoming weddings!  See you there.

It's an old New Year by now but we've got here at last.  We've had huge snow down here in Witham Friary, a couple of missed rehearsals and lots of re-arranging later we've just finished playing through a huge heap of new repertoire.  We've added a few twentieth century classics: Over the Rainbow, Sweet Dreams are Made of This, Maria (from West Side Story), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, La Cumparsita and lots more.  We're also working on some brilliant Baroque treasures: Rejoice Greatly and the Hallelujah Chorus (both from Handel's Messiah) and, inspired by Radio Three's Purcell Weekend, we're enjoying his Strike the Viol and Sound the Trumpet. 
Coming soon - in a fantastic arrangement for quartet - Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and Seona's hard at work on a West Side Story Suite. 
Happy New Year everyone, good luck with all your plans, dreams, hopes and resolutions!

A few new goodies for our growing list... from Handel's Messiah: the very famous Hallelujah Chorus and Rejoice Greatly also Zadok the Priest.  And to complement our lovely arrangement of Elgar's Chanson de Matin (arranged by Bill Thorp) we have just added Thorp's take on Chanson de Nuit.  Finally to celebrate the recent Purcell weekend on Radio 3 we've included wonderful arrangements of Strike the Viol and Sound the Trumpet great companion pieces to an old favourite the Rondeaux from Abdelazar.  Ooh I may be about to have a little Purcell moment...

We have fantastic new facility on our website... you can now check our availability for your date live online using the CALENDAR page. 
And fear not if your date appears to be busy please do get in touch we may be able to find some extra players or even tuck you in around other gigs. 

Very advance notice that we'll be playing at the wonderful wedding fair at Orchardleigh House in the New Year.  It's a great chance to meet, hear us play, talk about your music choices.  If you have music you'd like us to play just let us know and we'll programme it on the day.  Glorious George Pritchard will be there to take your details while we're busy playing.  Make sure you grab one of us in a break between tunes to discuss any of the music you have planned.  We'll have demo CDs, cards and information with us.