Friday April 10th 2020 4.00 pm - please note the time

The Bridge String Quartet

Colin Twigg violin
Catherine Schofield violin   
Michael Schofield viola    
Lucy Wilding cello

with Christopher Kent (narrator)

Haydn's string quartet setting of 'Seven Last Words on the Cross'

with readings

The celebrated Bridge String Quartet make a welcome return to St Mary's Perivale with regular collaborator, the actor Christopher Kent, well known to local audiences for his outstanding recent recital performances at St Mary's of Never Such Innocence and Odyssey. Haydn's timeless, soul-searching string quartet The Seven Last Words on the Cross was originally commissioned by the Bishop of Cadiz in 1786 for the Good Friday Service at the Oratorio de la Santa Cueva, with the movements separated by devotional words and meditations. This special performance recreates Haydn's original plan by interspersing the movements with readings by Christopher Kent of classic and contemporary poetry, including works by Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Philip Larkin and others. The programme was first performed to acclaim in London last Easter.

Admission free with retiring collection. No tickets issued beforehand

From Bulgaria to Kenya via USA and across central Europe, the Bridge Quartet tours widely, introducing a diverse audience to chamber music repertoire, especially that of their native British composers. Their acclaimed recordings, premiering ground-breaking repertoire by Gurney, Butterworth, O'Neill and Parry continue to receive warm praise and recently BBC Radio 3 featured their CD of Frank Bridge's early viola quintet. As chosen artists for EM recordings, they have collaborated with artists such as pianist Michael Dussek, tenor Charles Daniels and baritone Roderick Williams. The quartet has been established for over 25 years with founder member Colin Twigg currently celebrating 10 years in his second tenure. The quartet recently released a CD for Toccata Classics of Colin's own chamber works, so the Bridge Quartet is probably unique in having its own composer in residence! Their previous collaborations with actor Christopher Kent have included a WW1 themed collage of music and poetry readings, and an intimate Easter meditation upon Haydn's Seven Last Words and ‘In Gloucestershire', a programme of words and music by childhood friends Herbert Howells and Ivor Gurney.

Christopher Kent has appeared on stage, screen and radio in a wide range of roles from Shakespeare to contemporary drama. London theatre appearances have included Cyrano de Bergerac with Robert Lindsay at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and The Government Inspector with Timothy Spall at Greenwich Theatre. He is also one of the UK's best-known voiceover actors and his voice is regularly heard on commercials, documentaries, film trailers and literary recordings.Recent concert work includes collaborations with the Orlando Choir, West London Sinfonia and the Bridge String Quartet. With his regular recital partner the pianist Gamal Khamis he continues to perform the acclaimed narrative recitals Never Such Innocence (described by BBC Radio 3 as “an incredibly moving performance") and Odyssey – Words and Music of Finding Home, which tours the UK during 2020/21.

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