The King's Alchemist: British String Trios Eblana String Trio

• Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956): Prelude & Fugue for String Trio, Op. 24:
• 1 Finzi: Prelude & Fugue for String Trio, Op. 24: I. Prelude 03:40
• 2 Finzi: Prelude & Fugue for String Trio, Op. 24: II. Fugue 05:05
• Hugh Wood (b. 1932):
• 3 Wood: Ithaka, Op. 61 09:40
• Sally Beamish (b. 1956): The King's Alchemist:
• 4 Beamish: The King's Alchemist: I. Cantus 02:51
• 5 Beamish: The King's Alchemist: II. Aqua Vitae 02:08
• 6 Beamish: The King's Alchemist: III. Pavana 03:08
• 7 Beamish: The King's Alchemist: IV. Avis Hominis 02:38
• Ernest John Moeran (1894 - 1950): String Trio in G Major, R. 59:
• 8 Moeran: String Trio in G Major, R. 59: I. Allegretto giovale 08:26
• 9 Moeran: String Trio in G Major, R. 59: II. Adagio 04:38
• 10 Moeran: String Trio in G Major, R. 59: III. Molto vivace - Lento sostenuto 03:02
• 11 Moeran: String Trio in G Major, R. 59: IV. Andante grazioso - Presto 05:01
• Total Runtime 50:17

Info for The King's Alchemist: British String Trios

Featuring world premiere recordings of trios by Sally Beamish and Hugh Wood bookended by seldom heard works by Moeran and Finzi, showcases the sheer wealth of string trio repertoire by British composers. Although diverse in style and substance, the four works are bound together by the common strands of vivid storytelling and a shared musical language. Finzi’s Prelude and Fugue – the composers only piece of chamber music for strings alone - was composed in 1938 and conceived as a tribute to the renowned teacher R.O. Morris, with whom Finzi studied 16th century counterpoint. It is recorded here by the Eblana String Trio for only the second time, following its premiere LP recording in 1983. Ithaka by Hugh Wood is described by the composer himself as ‘a sort of mini-symphonic poem’. This one-movement work takes its inspiration from Cavafy’s meditation on Ulysses’ homeward voyage, and vibrantly depicts the adventures, discoveries, and dangers encountered along the way. Sally Beamish’s The King’s Alchemist is similarly programmatic music, reflecting aspects of the extraordinary story of John Damian, a European alchemist who resided at the court of King James IV in the early 16th century. The album concludes with Moeran’s String Trio, written in 1931 and deservedly counted amongst his finest works.

Eblana String Trio

Eblana String Trio
Since its formation in 2006, the Eblana String Trio has been performing regularly for music societies and festivals throughout the UK and beyond, winning praise from audiences and critics alike for the depth and insight of their performances of this often neglected repertoire. Recent seasons have seen the trio giving acclaimed performances at both the Wigmore Hall for the Park Lane Group and at the Bridgewater Hall for the Manchester Midday Concerts Society, as well as performing live on Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ programme.

The trio are City Music Foundation artists giving them access to both high-level performance opportunities as well as world-class professional and artistic mentoring. They have also performed under the auspices of the Park Lane Group and gave a critically acclaimed concert of works by Robin Holloway, Joel Rust (world premiere), and Schoenberg at St John’s Smith Square - “Finally, we heard that towering masterpiece of the chamber repertory, Schoenberg’s String Trio. (Why, o why, do we not hear it more often?) Febrile, intense, this was a fine performance indeed…The players’ instrumental singing of Schoenberg’s lines, flexible yet ever goal-directed, would have drawn in the most skeptical of listeners…” (Seen and heard international)

Other notable appearances over the past decade have included Keele Concerts Society, Derby Chamber Music Society, Bollington Chamber Concerts, Holmes Chapel Music Society, MusikFest Goslar (Germany) and the North Norfolk, King’s Lyn, Stratford-upon-Avon and Salisbury International Festivals. The trio has for many years also made appearances at the annual RNCM Chamber Music Festivals including a critically acclaimed performance of the Schoenberg Trio in their Festival of Viennese chamber music - “...the late, mercurial, if elliptical, String Trio, a sort of 12-tone divertimento, was brilliantly undertaken by the RNCM’s Eblana String Trio.” (Paul Driver - Sunday Times)

During their time at the Royal Northern College of Music the trio won all the major chamber music prizes, notably winning the 2010 RNCM chamber music award and audience prize for their performance of Britten’s Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings. They are also fortunate to have received coaching from many eminent chamber musicians such as Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Hugh Maguire, Robin Ireland and Petr Prause, and have also attended the International Musicians’ Seminar at Prussia Cove studying with David Waterman. The trio has also been invited on a number of occasions to participate in the European Chamber Music Academy, most recently studying with Christoph Richter, Peter Cropper and Hatto Beyerle.

From 2013 until 2015 The Eblana String Trio were Junior Fellows in chamber music at Birmingham Conservatoire, a post which encompassed performing, studying and teaching whilst acting as ambassadors for the Conservatoire. The members of the trio are now visiting tutors in Chamber Music at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Booklet for The King's Alchemist: British String Trios