Double Double (2018)
for string quartet
Double Double — or Epsilon Lyrae — is a multiple star system in the constellation of Lyra (the harp). The legend of Lyra tells the story of Orpheus, who was given a lyre by Apollo and proceeded to sculpt a music sweeter than that of any other mortal man. Orpheus’s music was so powerful that it could charm even inanimate objects such as trees, rocks, and stars.
Each of the two stars in the Epsilon Lyrae system is itself a double star. The system appears as a single point of light to the naked eye, but is in fact four distinct stars. One stellar pair circles the other in an intricate gravitational dance — spellbound, delighting in a dreamboat display of begirdling resonance.
Double Double is a string quartet written for Equilibrium Ensemble and dedicated to the cellist Hilary Browning.
Performance / Recording
Performed live at the Music Room as part of the Liverpool Philharmonic Chamber Music Series on 10 February 2020.
Recording by Thomas Rydeard.
Performers
Violins: Kate Richardson, Kate Marsden
Viola: Rachel Jones
Cello: Hilary Browning
Photo credit: Sally-Anne Anderson