What in years past would have been called a King's Lynn Festival fringe concert was given in the Methodist Church, London Road, on Wednesday by The Berwick String Quartet.

By DAVID JOHNSON

What in years past would have been called a King's Lynn Festival fringe concert was given in the Methodist Church, London Road, on Wednesday by The Berwick String Quartet – four talented amateur string players – Katherine Greenwood and Elaine Sargent (violins), Marlen Moss-Eccart (viola) and Fionna Hall (cello).

All are members of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra who, two years ago, decided to get together and play as a string quartet for their own pleasure.

Since then they have decided to play in public occasionally. As they rehearse at Welney, where the Bewick's swans flock, it was felt that Bewick was an appropriate name.

Opening with Handel's Arrival of the Queen of Sheba we were then given Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik to be followed in contrast by Scott Joplin's Parogun Rag. These pieces were all played with considerable style and verve.

They were perhaps somewhat stretched in Haydn's String Quartet No 46 in D, and in the earlier pieces there was some insecurity of pitch but this understandably could be due to nerves or perhaps the heat (which does make strings go flat).

But by the final item Pachabel's Canon this

problem had been overcome to give a finale that was a delight to the great approval of the audience.

I feel that we shall be hearing more of the Bewick Quartet.