Hyperion Records

The Delmé Quartet was conceived in a taxi travelling over London Bridge in 1962 by Granville Delmé Jones and Jurgen Hess (violins), John Underwood (viola) and Joy Hall (cello). Their idea was to play for their own pleasure. After its formation, news of this distinguished group of players quickly spread through the profession. The BBC, which was planning a series of concerts of international chamber music at London’s Royal Festival Hall, asked the Delmé to take part and this launched them immediately into a busy concert schedule. Galina Solodchin joined the quartet in the late 1960s after the death of Granville Jones. John Trusler and Jonathan Williams joined the quartet in the mid-’70s. John Underwood is therefore the sole remaining foundermember. Over the past four decades the Delmé has appeared at most major European festivals, but certain ones such as Salzburg and the Dvorák birthday concert in Prague stand out in their memories. The quartet’s collaboration with a number of notable composers is well known, particularly that with the late Robert Simpson. During its long association with Hyperion the quartet has recorded ten of Simpson’s quartets as well as the String Trio, the Clarinet Quintet (with Thea King), and the two-cello Quintet (with the late Christopher van Kampen). Other composers with whom the quartet has worked closely include John McCabe, Christopher Headington, Wilfred Josephs—and especially Daniel Jones, whose quartets they have premiered and performed regularly at Jones’s local music festival at Gower in South Wales.