Quintet For Two Violins, Viola, Cello and Piano. “Quincie”.
Full Score with set of parts.
Buy at SHEETMUSICDIRECT or SHEETMUSICPLUS
In 4 movements – total duration 35 minutes.
This piece was written between July 2018 and January 2019. I had just begun receiving the main ideas for it when a pianist I know locally, Robert Aston, happened to ask me if I had written anything for piano and string quartet. I believe that the piece “heard” this and that was the trigger and the door unlocking. Because the next thing I knew I was absolutely engulfed in the writing of this work for the next six months.
Like all my works, this one is an emotional journey, and my own nickname for it is Quincie, The Comic Healer. Each movement tells a progressive story of the different stages of a journey through a long period of grief, illness, depression and chronic anxiety. The overall mood of the whole piece is extremely energetic, loving, warm, compassionate and audience friendly, and while there is some heart ache in the middle of the first movement, the work is also extremely comical and hilarious in its third and fourth movements. It has a great sense of slapstick humour alongside the deep ache of grief and unfathomable sadness. It is completely tonal and in a highly Romantic style.
There are three performances of it coming up:
April 27th 2019 at the Triangle Church, Bolton BL1 5QP 7.30pm by the Pennine Quintet
June 1st 2019 at the Victoria Hall, Knowsley St. Bolton BL1 2AS at 1pm Lunchtime concert, by the Pennine Quintet
July 7th 2019 at the Horwich Community Centre, Beaumont Rd, BL6 7BG at 2.45pm as part of the Horwich Music Festival.
A great start for a brand new work! My gratitude to the Pennine Quintet and concert organizers is immense and not something I will ever forget. Thank you. I will post recordings as and when they become available.
The following performance was recorded and filmed at the Horwich Music Festival on July 7th 2019 and added to YouTube with permission of the Pennine Ensemble. Many many thanks.
Very sadly, in June 2020, the pianist, Robert Aston, passed away from cancer. Without his wonderful support and encouragement this work never ever would have had even one performance let alone FOUR! Therefore, I have now fully dedicated this piece to Robert as the least of a thousand thankyous to him for all the wonderful music he gave so freely to Bolton, UK, over his lifetime. Thank you, Robert. You were FAB!!!