Live classical music set to return to Alnwick for first time in 18 months

The Dante Quartet, one of the best-known British string quartets, will perform in Alnwick Playhouse on Wednesday, July 21 at 7.30pm.

Mike Alexander, society chairman, said: “The last year and a half has been frustrating as our planned events have had to postponed, re-arranged and then postponed time and again.

"It has also been a real problem for the professional musicians we book as many of them are freelance and have been hard hit by the pandemic.”

The first concert since the coronavirus pandemic will feature Schubert’s wonderful ‘Rosamunde’ string quartet and Haydn’s lively ‘Sunrise’ quartet, as well as a string quartet written by a British composer, Robert Simpson, who was born in 1921.

Mike said: “This should be a fascinating concert as we hear quartets by two of the great composers of string quartets and celebrate a vastly undervalued British composer in this his centenary year with the Dante Quartet, which has been honoured with the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music."

"After the difficult time many of us have experienced, it will be wonderful to see and hear live music again,” he added.

This concert is the first in the delayed 2019-20 season which usually runs from September to June.

Instead, the remaining six concerts will be held between August and November 2021 with four in the Playhouse and two in St Paul’s Church.

Full details can be found on the Society website: www.alnwickmusicsociety.co.uk.

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