The Oxford-based Sollar Quartet make their first appearance in Wallingford with two familiar works framing the World Première of a new quartet, Wildflower by Judith Ward. As well as being Director of Music at the Wallingford Parish Churches, Judith Ward is an emerging composer whose choral works are gaining attention, with a recent broadcast on Radio 3. Wildflower, which is the second world première of our season, is inspired by poppies appearing as Summer progresses, and has influences from folk music. 

Haydn’s Quartet in C major is one of six works written for Count Apponyi, a well-connected nobleman, who paid Haydn 100 Ducats for the privilege.  The quartet comes from Haydn’s richest maturity and was written in Vienna in 1793 between his two visits to Britain.

Schubert’s D minor quartet is one of his most significant works, written in 1824 near the end of his short life. The second movement of this dramatic and striking work is a set of variations on his own song ‘Death And The Maiden’ which gives the quartet its nickname.

Curated for Sollar Music by violist Vanessa McNaught, the quartet’s other members are Caroline Balding and Jean Paterson (violins) and Gabriel Amherst (’cello).