Vienna Classical Concerts in Beds and Bucks

Vienna Classical Concerts in Beds and Bucks¬†- On Saturday January 10th and 17th the Manor House String Quartet performed two rather late Viennese New Year Day concerts in Cranfield and Cuddington. Here are the quartet performing the ‘Champagne Galopp’:

Both programmes included well-known marches, galops, waltzes, polkas and landler by Johann Strauss the younger (and his father Johann Strauss the elder), Lanner, Brahms, Schubert and Schrammell. We started the concerts off with an arrangement of Weber’s ‘Invitation to the Dance’, before launching into the ‘Annen Polka’ by Strauss the younger. Each piece was announced with a little bit of historical information thrown in and the mood of the concert was joyful and light-hearted. The first half finished with ‘Roses From the South’ and the audience then enjoyed a slice of cake and a glass of wine. The second half included the ‘The Blue Danube’ waltz, as well as ‘Tritsch Tratsch Polka’, ‘Pizzicato Polka’ and a wonderful gallop by Lanner entitled ‘Bruder Halt!’

The Manor House String Quartet playing a Viennese New Years concert at Cranfield Bedfordshire

The Viennese concerts we have played in the past have all enjoyed a terrific response from the audience and the reason is that the dances all have such different characters, with memorable tunes are wrapped up with catchy rhythms. Always an uplifting combination for everyone involved!