A plethora of coloured lights played against the backdrop of various exotic plants at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as audience members strolled through one of the many greenhouses, to the ballroom to find their seats. The atmosphere was one of great serenity yet excitement, as the ballroom quickly filled up and audience members marvelled at the beautiful venue, and the carpet of candles that had been carefully laid out for the performance. It was perhaps a strange choice for a candlelight concert, yet it worked perfectly. The audience sat quietly as four young women gracefully made their way onto the stage, who later introduced themselves as the Sekine Quartet. The quartet are a Birmingham based group, made up of former Birmingham Conservatoire students.

Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ was briefly introduced, as sonnets written by Vivaldi to accompany his music were read out. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was composed in 1718, giving an exciting musical expression to each season. On a cold February night, the music was certainly a welcome antidote to the British seasons. The audience were made aware of sounds to listen out for in musical form, such as storms, dogs barking and flies buzzing.

The performance began with Bach’s ‘Violin Concerto in A Minor’ which provided a serene taste of the musical panache that was to later be demonstrated. The quartet subsequently launched into ‘Spring’, a joyous piece representative of the beauty of such a season, with sounds  mimicking birds singing, and later a softer tempo to reflect the image of a sleeping shepherd mentioned in Vivaldi’s sonnet. The piece was performed with both control and an exciting vivacity, thus indicating the virtuosity of each quartet member. Particularly worthy of note was the lead violinist, who portrayed an innate virtuosity. She was supported perfectly by the other members who displayed a softer, yet still equally talented and confident way of playing.

Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’ displayed a change in tone, reflecting that of some more sinister natural elements like storms and lightning. The audience were left captivated by the lead violinist, who made the technicality of the piece very clear, yet showing great passion and flair for her instrument.

There is a reason why perhaps ‘Autumn’ and ‘Winter’ are less well known pieces, being much more subdued in nature. ‘Autumn’ reflects the drunkenness of a group of peasants who have spent the day hunting, ‘fired up by  Bacchus’s liquor.’ The violin ranges between high and low registers, perhaps sounding coarse, yet it is meant to illustrate such inebriation.

‘Winter’ is similarly intimidating, representing elements like icy winds, which are reflected in the change to an allegro tempo. Yet, the piece also has notes of comfort, as the quartet plucked at their strings, mimicking the sound of raindrops to make it a more satisfying piece.

The night was perfectly rounded off with a performance of Ennio Morricone’s piece ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’, which was an emotional end that allowed the quartet to demonstrate their versatility. Audience members watched for one final time, in awe of the beauty of the piece and the skill of the players. The candlelight theme was the perfect backdrop to an exquisite performance, that is no doubt an unforgettable, must-see experience.

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