Devotion and Transcendence

Sunday 22 November 4pm - Berkhamsted Town hall

Edmund Finnis - Devotions

Ludwig Van Beethoven - String Quartet no. 15 Op. 132

Eva Thorarinsdottir (violin) Natalie Klouda (violin) Nick Bootiman (viola) Clare O’Connell (cello)

From quiet contemplation to profound thanksgiving, this programme brings together two works that invite us to listen with extraordinary attention.

Edmund Finnis’s Devotions unfolds as a meditation on sound itself. Delicate textures, luminous harmonies, and moments of near silence create a space for reflection, where each gesture seems to emerge naturally from the last. Rather than seeking dramatic effect, the music draws us inward, encouraging a rare stillness and openness of listening.

Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 stands among the greatest achievements in the quartet repertoire. Written following a serious illness, its central movement—“Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit” (“Holy Song of Thanksgiving of a Convalescent to the Deity”)—is one of the most moving expressions of gratitude in all of Western music. Across five interconnected movements, Beethoven moves between struggle and serenity, vulnerability and joy, culminating in a work of profound spiritual depth.

Together, these two quartets form a journey from contemplation to transcendence, revealing music’s unique ability to create spaces for reflection, healing, and hope.