THE WILLOUGHBY STRING
QUARTET:
Louis Willoughby (violin); Clayton Hare (violin); Max Gilbert (viola);
Peter Beavan (violoncello)
JAMES WHITEHEAD
The string fantasia was the instrumental counterpart of the sixteenth-century madrigal and motet, and owed its style directly to those choral works deemed ' apt for voices or viols Dowland's ' Lachrimae' is one of the most important works in this series. The texture is contrapuntal throughout after the fashion of some highly elaborate motet, yet the music is conceived from an instrumental standpoint. John Dowland (1563-1626) was an outstanding figure in English music. He was a Bachelor of Music at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and spent much of his life abroad. The ' Lachrimae ' are dedicated to Queen Anne of Denmark, and were published in London in 1603. Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) was a composer of the greatest importance in the history of English music. The ' Fantasies ' for strings are an excellent example of the fantasy form, and remarkable for their rhythmic freedom. Further broadcasts in this series will be given as follows : Tuesday (National
7.10), Wednesday (National 7.40), Thursday (National 9.20), and Saturday (Regional 10.0).