A Real Quartet

We’ve just had 2 weeks off quartet because Jen was on her honeymoon. I love the way it takes one of us to get married for us to take time off!


We have recorded the Elgar and Bax G major for our new disc. We did it in a lovely church in Hanwell. It was lovely and quiet, until we heard a strange noise outside just as we were about to do a take. It turned out not to be a plane or car, but… a peacock!! Now, that HAS to be a good sign!

The recording was in the middle of my 2-week stint playing in Fiddler on the Roof. The on-stage fiddler was miming to me, and there was even a speaker inside his violin- with my sound coming out! The part is quite difficult, and the show is 3 hours long. On top of the 8 shows a week, I was squeezing in quartet recording/performances, recording the violin part on 2 new pop albums and teaching! One mad day, we were playing with jazz singer Victoria Hart at 1pm in a club in Piccadilly, and then I had to run round the corner for the matinee of Fiddler! I think the band thought I was a bit overdressed for a matinee, turning up in a tiny black jazz dress and LOTS of make-up! My last day on Fiddler was great – my friends came and took up nearly the whole front row on the balcony. They cheered and screamed so loudly at the end for the band – I was proud!

The next day I got up mega-early to fit in some teaching, then we had a quartet coaching with Elgar-expert Anthony Payne. He was incredibly helpful, and then we had to run for a train to Wales. We did a concert in Llandudno with a male voice choir, for an audience of 900. We were recalled onstage at the end to be presented with huge bunches of flowers, and then to my horror, the conductor brought the audience to their feet for a rendition of the Welsh National Anthem! I was so embarrassed that I didn’t know the words (or tune!), and was trying to cover my mouth with the flowers, when Jen nudged me and pointed down the row at Bryony. She was singing in Welsh!! She saved the day – at least one of us knew it! That girl has hidden talents…

Got home the next day and just about had enough time to actually sit down for a meal, and do some laundry, then it was off to the Isle of Man the next day. We did a recital in a converted church, and then Jen left early the next morning to organize her wedding, whilst we climbed a hill. There was not a soul around, and the scenery was lovely, but it was so windy I nearly blew off the cliff! It was great to finally visit the Isle of Man, as the Amadeus Quartet had started there, whilst they were interned after the war. Mr Pilates also developed his technique there, apparently. We were all in much need of Pilates lessons when we got home – after lugging our suitcases and a cello up and down hotel staircases and through airports.

We had an odd quartet date a few days later, performing for a cricket match! I then went into my 5-year-old cousin’s school in Bounds Green very early the next morning, to give a demonstration of the violin in their assembly which went down well. They were so much better behaved and more interested than all the private schools I’ve been paid to go into! Next day was a violin duet date in Blenheim Palace, where I met an interesting juggler and magician, and then it was Jens’ wedding!

I left my house in a flurry in the morning as usual. There is absolutely NO time to perform, run around the country, do laundry AND keep a tidy bedroom. Couldn't find any of the clothes I needed for the weekend and had been so way-laid by concert organisers calling me about programes that I was running late, so flung ENTIRE contents of wardrobe on floor. Then could only find one shoe, so flung entire contents of shoe cupboard (yes they do take up a whole cupboard) on floor. Then tried to open the door and it got wedged between pile of laundry and pile of shoes with me in the middle with a violin and suitcase. I was completely stuck, unable to move and late, and my flat mate had to come and rescue me!

Jen looked gorgeous, and we played/cried her up the aisle! It was a true country wedding; she arrived in a horse and cart, and we all sat on hay-bales at the reception. There was a ceilidh band and when my feet got tired dancing – I took the violin off the fiddler and joined in! Hope he didn’t mind!?

The following week had me playing on a couple more recording sessions for people’s pop albums, and I also played with a different quartet at a party at the V and A Museum. We were amplified, wearing black dresses, long evening gloves and pink scarves, and playing Bohemian Rhapsody and I Will Survive – v good fun!

During the last few days, I have played with Paul Potts on This Morning, visited Armani to borrow dresses for our quartet photo-shoot next week, played violin duets for a awards ceremony inside Tower Bridge for the 20 most influential women in facilities management (??!?), and played in an outdoor Prom concert, where the fireworks went off too early in the 1812 Overture, we were stopped dramatically before the end by a massive power cut, and then had to run across a muddy field in the pouring rain to catch our train!


Quote of the year – came from a male cellist sitting with us on the train the other day... ‘So, are you a girly quartet, or a real quartet?’
!!!!!!!!!!!!!