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East of England String Quartet Ensemble
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Masterworks at Anglia Ruskin University

The ensemble was excited to present another in its Masterworks series of concerts on Friday 4 May 2018 at Anglia Ruskin University.

Peter Bussereau and Marcus Broome violin
Ania Ullman viola
Julia Graham cello

Programme:

Webern - Langsamer Satz
Lucy Askew - Midsummer
Xuen Wei Kok - Rain
Katie Thompson - Woodland Adventure
Caitlin Shek - Andromeda's Time
Beethoven - String quartet Op18 No4 in c minor

The quartet were particularly pleased to be performing works by four talented ARU composition students, Lucy Askew, Xuen Wei Kok, Katie Thompson and Caitlin Shek. The string quartet had been given the luxury of working with these composers in a workshop on the Monday prior the concert in which the composers and performers had the opportunity to exchange ideas. The works were received with great enthusiasm by the concert's audience and hopefully herald further performances of works by ARU composers.

The concert also included two works from the Viennese schools, Beethoven representing the first and Webern the second. Both works, too, were from the beginnings of musical journeys in much the same way as the ARU composers. Webern's Langsamer Satz was written in 1905 whilst the composer was studying with Schoenberg and is a strongly romantic melodic and tonal work written before Webern developed his more delicately fragmentary atonal style. The Beethoven string quartet opus 18 number 4 in c minor is perhaps the most powerful of the set of six he wrote in 1798, his first quartets which set him on a musical pathway that lasted his life.

The ensemble is looking forward to more projects and concerts at the Anglia Ruskin University later in the year and are most grateful for the University's support.