The Delmé Quartet, aka The Delmé String Quartet, was a

String quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

, founded in London in 1962. In 1967, it became the first string quartet to be attached to a British university as

Artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

—in this case, the

University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...

. The quartet also spent four years as performing

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

s at

Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

, and taught the art of quartet performance at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

. They toured extensively and released 30 albums.

History

The Delmé Quartet was founded by former

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

lead violinist Granville Delmé Jones, former

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. With a limited performance size, the orchestra spe ...

violinist Jürgen Hess (violins), John Underwood (viola) and Joy Hall (cello), who came up with the idea during a cab ride over

London Bridge The name "London Bridge" refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark in central London since Roman Britain, Roman times. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 197 ...

. Their plan was to play for their own pleasure but when the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

asked them to play in a concert series of international chamber music at

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

, they were 'discovered' and were immediately booked into a concert schedule. Jones died in 1968; he was replaced by Galina Solodchin. John Trusler and Jonathan Williams replaced Hess and Hall in the 1970s; Hess left to become Leader of the London Bach Orchestra. Painter joined the quartet in 1981. The quartet collaborated with many notable composers, particularly with Robert Simpson—they recorded ten of his quartets, one of which (No. 9) they commissioned, plus his String Trio, the Clarinet Quintet (with Thea King), and the two-cello Quintet (with Christopher van Kampen). They also worked with

John McCabe John McCabe may refer to: *John McCabe (composer) (1939–2015), British composer and classical pianist *John McCabe (writer) (1920–2005), Shakespearean scholar and biographer *Christopher John McCabe Christopher John McCabe (born 20 Oc ...

, Christopher Headington,

Wilfred Josephs Wilfred Josephs (24 July 1927 – 17 November 1997) was an English composer. Life Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, the fourth and youngest son of Russian and South Shields Jewish parents, Wilfred Josephs had his first musical studies in Ne ...

and Daniel Jones, whose quartets they performed regularly at Jones’s Gower Festival. Members of the Delmé Quartet played on several recordings by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. Hall can be heard on "

Strawberry Fields Forever "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Penny Lane". It represented ...

"; Hess played on three Beatles albums: ''

Revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

'', ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (often referred to simply as ''Sgt. Pepper'') is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept ...

'' and ''Yellow Submarine''. On the latter album, Hall, Hess and Underwood are the notable strings performance on "

Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the s ...

", and on "

She's Leaving Home "She's Leaving Home" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and released on their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Paul McCartney wrote and sang the verse and John Lenno ...

" from Sgt Pepper (among other songs). Solodchin played on three solo albums by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

: ''Tug Of War'' (1992), ''Pipes Of Peace'' (1983) and ''Off The Ground'' (1993). The Delmé Quartet performed internationally, including at the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

and, in 1993, at Dvořák in Prague: A Celebration. In Britain, they played the

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...

, the

Cheltenham Music Festival The Cheltenham Music Festival is a British music festival, held annually in Cheltenham in the summer months (June, July) since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004. ...

, the

Swaledale Festival The Swaledale Festival takes place over two weeks in May and June each year, in churches, chapels, castles, ‘Literary Institutes’, pubs, fields and village halls scattered around Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and Wensleydale. The largest venues s ...

, the Kings Lynn Festival and the

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester) and originally fe ...

Discography

*''Six String Quartettos, Op. 1, Joseph Gehot'' (1965), ''Music in America'', The Society For The Preservation Of The American Musical Heritage *''Ravel/Bax/Debussy'', with the Robles Trio (1970),

Argo Records Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 in music, 1955 as a division of Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint w ...

*''Smetana / Brahms'' (1976),

Audio Fidelity Records Audio Fidelity Records was a record company based in New York City, most active during the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for having produced the first mass-produced American stereophonic long-playing record in November 1957 (although this ...

*''James Dawson, Soprano Saxophone'', with James Dawson (1982), Crystal Records *'' Daniel Jones, Three String Quartets'' (1982),

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Frank Bridge Frank Bridge (26 February 187910 January 1941) was an English composer, violist and conductor. Life Bridge was born in Brighton, the ninth child of William Henry Bridge (1845–1928), a violin teacher and variety theatre conductor, formerly a ...

, Music for String Quartet'' (1983), Chandos Records *'' David Wynne, String Quartet No. 5 / Music For Keyboards & Percussion'', with Martin Jones, Richard McMahon,

Tristan Fry Tristan Frederick Allan Fry (born 25 October 1946, London) is a British drummer and percussionist. Career Fry began his career by joining the London Philharmonic Orchestra as a timpanist at the age of 17. He was a founding member of a number of e ...

and Michael Skinner (1983),

Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; ) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts Council (), its English name w ...

, Oriel Records *''Robert Simpson, String Quartet No. 9'' (1984),

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is a British classical music record label. It was independent until February 2023, when it was acquired by the Universal Music Group. Under Universal, Hyperion is one of the three main classical record labels, alongside Decca a ...

*''Robert Simpson, String Quartet No. 7'' / String Quartet No. 8 (1984),

*''Journeys'', Pete King (1984), New Southern Library *''Bliss String Quartets'' (1985), Hyperion Records *''Brahms / Dvořák'' with Keith Puddy (1987), IMP Classics *''Favourite Encores For String Quartet'' (1989), Helios Records *''Verdi / Strauss, String Quartets'' (1989), Hyperion Records *''Beethoven, String Quartets'' (1989), Helios Records *''Souvenir'', with

Tony Kinsey Cyril Anthony Kinsey (11 October 1927 – 9 February 2025) was an English jazz drummer and composer. Early life Kinsey was born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England on 11 October 1927. He held jobs on trans-Atlantic ships while young, stud ...

(1989), Ivy Leaf Records *''Robert Simpson String Quartet No. 1 / String Quartet No. 4'' (1990), Hyperion Records *''

A Shropshire Lad ''A Shropshire Lad'' is a collection of 63 poems by the English poet Alfred Edward Housman, published in 1896. Selling slowly at first, it then rapidly grew in popularity, particularly among young readers. Composers began setting the poems to ...

- Three Song Cycles To Poems By

A. E. Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classics, classical scholar and poet. He showed early promise as a student at the University of Oxford, but he failed his final examination in ''literae humaniores'' and t ...

'' (1990), Hyperion Records *''Robert Simpson String Quartet No. 2 / String Quartet No. 5'' (1990), Hyperion Records *''Robert Simpson String Quartet No. 3 / String Quartet No. 6'' (1990), Hyperion Records *''Haydn, The Seven Last Words Of Our Saviour On The Cross'' (1990), Hyperion Records *''Hummel, Three String Quartets Op 30'' (1992), Hyperion Records *''Britten, Music For Oboe, Music For Piano'', with Sarah Francis &

Michael Dussek Michael Dussek (born February 24, 1958) is an English pianist specialising in chamber music and song accompaniment. Education Dussek was educated at St John's College School, Cambridge and Radley College, where his piano teacher was Hugo Langri ...

(1995), Hyperion Records *'' Daniel Jones, Complete String Quartets'' (1996), Chandos Records *''Robert Simpson String Quartet No. 13 / String Quartet No. 2'', with Thea King & Christopher van Kampen (1997), Hyperion Records *''Bach, Robert Simpson, The Art of Fugue'' (2000), Hyperion Records *''

Bernard Stevens Bernard (George) Stevens (2 March 1916 – 6 January 1983) was a British composer who first became known to the wider public when he won a newspaper composition prize for a 'Victory Symphony' post-war in 1946. The broader success was not sus ...

, Theme & Variations for String Quartet'' (2001),

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

*''Cypresses by

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

'' with Timothy Robinson and Graham Johnson (2004), Somm Recordings *''The Music Of Peter Wishart: A 25th Anniversary Celebration'', compilation (2010),

Priory Records Priory Records is a record company in the UK founded in 1980, and devoted mostly to church music and organ music. Important projects have included the complete Psalms sung by cathedral choirs to Anglican chant, all of the Magnificat and Nunc dim ...

*''Dvořák, String Quartets'' (2014), Somm Recordings *''String Quartets: Wind for Strings'', compilation, various artists (2021), GTUK

Soundtrack Appearances

*''Music on 2'', Episode: ''Berg'' (1972) *''The Lively Arts'', Episode: ''Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 1'' (1977) *''The Lively Arts'', Episode: ''Bogey-Man - Prophet - Guardian 2'' (1977) *''The Lively Arts'', Episode: ''Berg'' (1977) *''

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 1978 ...

'', Episode: ''102 Boulevard Haussmann'' (1990) *'' Simpatico'' (1999) *'' Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire'' (2000)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delme Quartet Musical groups established in 1962 1962 establishments in England