My Seventeenth String Quartet began life somewhat abortively in March 1979 as an overture for string trio, intended as a welcoming present for my sister Ruth, who was returning that day from a school field-trip.  The timing of the impulse on the day of her return was not the cleverest; the work ran into the ground half-way through the development section (5:00), remained unperformed and was eventually lost.  Over the next eleven years I made a number of attempts to revive it as a quartet (the original trio contained absurd quantities of double-stopping), and work on the final form of the opening movement was solidly underway by the early summer of 1990.  The music contains a rare moment of expressionist personal suffering; the somewhat morbid passage from 5:12 to 5:23 was conceived under the influence of a rather savage toothache.

A.M.Bell - String Quartet No. 17 (I - Lento - Allegro con Brio)

Born 1965, lifelong lover of music.  Have been picking out little tunes from 5, and attempting seriously to compose since 12.  Generally (although not exclusively) happiest writing in the manner of late-18thC/early 19thC, but very happy to listen to pretty nearly any music.  String quartets a speciality, although not entirely sure why.  No plans to give up the day job (secondary school Support for Learning Assistant) or the weekend job (Choirmaster at St. Magnus's Cathedral, Kirkwall).

A.M.Bell - String Quartet No. 17 (I - Lento - Allegro con Brio)

Michael Bell