Woods and Gardens
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
Friday July 4th
Peter Sheppard Skærved – Violin & Viola
Concert 1: Skyspace, 5pm
Giuseppe Tartini G Major ‘Sonata Piccola’ No.1
Molto andante – Allegro cantabile – Allegro – Siciliana
Nicolo Paganini Caprice Op.1 No.13
Sadie Harrison Diana & Selene (from Diana Nemorensis) (2013)
Sadie Harrison ‘The Flight of Swallows’ (from ‘Gallery’) (2012)*
In the last twenty years of his life, the great composer-violinist Tartini (1692-1770) worked incessantly on a set of thirty ‘Sonate Piccole/Small Sonatas’. This 7-hour cycle is full of allusions to the natural world (birds and weather especially), and the literature he loved, especially Torquato Tasso. Paganini (1782-1840) was deeply influenced by his sense of nature, storytelling, and magic. He stole the idea of Tartini’s famous ‘deal with the Devil’ to forge his new, diabolic, public image in the 1820s.
Concert 2: Gallery, 6.30pm
Giuseppe Tartini E minor ‘Sonata Piccola’ No.6 ‘Senti lo mare’
Andante cantabile – Allegro cantabile – Giga
Giuseppe Tartini A minor Sonata No.7
Adagio – Allegro – Tema con variazione – Allegro assai
Nicolo Paganini D Major Caprice Op.1 No.24
Nicola LeFanu Prelude, after Grinling Gibbons (2018)*
Sadie Harrison Movements from ‘Gallery’ (2012)*
Storm factory – Scheherazade – It rubs off – …same strand…
Sadie Harrison A Cornish Herbarium (2026) World Premiere*
Erica Vagans L.,(Cornish Heath) The Wanderer – Come to Good – Scilla verna (Spring squill) & Anthersopora tractemae (Smut Fungus) – The Quay Fair – Armeria maritima Sea Pink, Sea Thrift)
Ryb an Avon ‘By the Water’ – Laminaria Digitata (Oarweed Kelp) & The Newlyn Fisherman’s Reel
‘I have worked with composer Sadie Harrison for the whole of my career: she is a vital collaborator and friend on the artistic journey. The very first time that I played here, in 2024, with my Kreutzer Quartet, we played her string quartet plus reader, A house of countless rooms, with Malene Skærved, who wrote the poetry which inspired it. ‘Gallery’ consists of two books of miniatures counterpointing my graphic work, one of which (‘The Flight of Swallows’ – a summer evening I Munich) is reproduced above
Sadie’s ‘Herbarium’ counterpoints uniquely Cornish flora with local traditions and culture. Oarweed Kelp is all about rowing, most particularly rowing in Newlyn. The melody ‘Ryb an Avon’ was sung by a Helston butcher in 1905, and the ‘Quay Fair’ is played on Mazey day at the Golowan Festival in Penzance. But it is the inner life, the behaviour, the essences of the plants themselves which provides the keystone for this group of pieces: so, it is appropriate to premiere these here at wonderful Tremenheere, where Nature’s example leads the way.
Nicola LeFanu has been an inspiration to me (and to Sadie) for many years: ‘Prelude’ was written in response to a panel by the wonderful 17th century wood-sculptor, Grinling Gibbons. This depicts King David playing the harp, duetting with St Cecelia (patron saint of Music) and a rowdy angelic orchestra. A four-part motet by Orlando di Lasso is engraved into the carving, and this is threaded throughout Nicola’s piece. The panel can be seen at Fairfax House, York, where I premiered the piece, before giving the second performance at the Metropolitan Museum, New York City.’
It is as ever, such a privilege to work in this extraordinary place. I would like to thank Neil Armstrong for his life-enhancing work in making Tremenheere, and Tom Heale, for everything that he does to make these events possible.’
Peter Sheppard Skærved
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