Beethoven's Septet

We return to St Mary’s Church, Wooler for an evening of music packed full of wit, sparkle and passion with our Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska at the helm.

Haydn’s ‘The Joke’ string quartet really lives up to its nickname, packed with cheeky surprises, sudden pauses, and clever twists. Think classical elegance with a mischievous wink. Till Eulenspiegel’s Einmal Anders! brings to life a trickster from German folklore – a cheeky rogue who causes chaos everywhere he goes. Hasenöhrl’s brilliant chamber version squeezes Strauss’s huge orchestral circus into just a handful of players, without losing any of the sass. Beethoven’s Septet was an instant crowd-pleaser on its premiere in 1800, so much so that Beethoven got a bit grumpy seeing it steal the spotlight from his other works. But it’s easy to see why it was instantly popular – it’s full of lyrical solos, sprightly dances, and feels like pure musical sunshine.