Quartets come to the fore in Bantry
THIS year’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry, which runs from June 28 to July 6, will feature more than 100 musicians. The organisational skills required for an event of this kind are immense. Festival director Francis Humphreys and his team work round the clock, arranging everything from accommodation to transport. It’s all part of a festival which is renowned both for the quality of its music and the friendliness of its hosts. No wonder it draws visitors from all over the world.
Chamber music was designed to be played in intimate surroundings, originally a palace chamber where a king and his closest confidants could enjoy its strains in relaxed privacy. It’s music among friends. And that makes it ideal for West Cork and the gracious surroundings of Bantry House. The string quartet was created for such intimate settings, and, fittingly, this year’s festival is particularly rich in string quartets, with Bantry welcoming not only the Vanbrugh, but also Cuarteto Casals, Kelemen, Quatuor Danel, and The Jupiter.
