Concert: Tippett Quartet

Hellens Welcomes the Tippett Quartet for a Celebratory Concert in the Great Barn

Hellens is delighted to host the renowned Tippett Quartet for an evening of exceptional chamber music in the historic Great Barn. The ensemble—John Mills (violin), Jeremy Isaac (violin), Lydia Lowndes-Northcott (viola), and Bozidar Vukotic (cello)—will present a compelling programme that spans early 20th-century English music to one of the great masterpieces of the Romantic repertoire.

The concert forms part of the musical celebrations marking the 70th birthday year of Ian Venables, one of Britain’s most distinguished living composers and a valued Trustee of Hellensmusic. His String Quartet Op. 32, a compact yet emotionally resonant work, will be performed by the Tippett Quartet. The piece is noted for its melodic richness, harmonic depth, and expressive beauty.

Opening the programme is John Ireland’s String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, a youthful composition that reveals the early stirrings of Ireland’s distinctive voice, influenced by the likes of Beethoven and Brahms. The evening concludes with Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor D810, famously known as ‘Death and the Maiden’. This work stands as one of the pinnacles of the chamber music repertoire, combining dramatic intensity with lyrical poignancy.

Guests are invited to arrive early to enjoy refreshments from the Haywain Bar, which opens 30 minutes before the performance.