The Mistral Woodwind Quartet

Named after the strong, cold, fast flowing North wind which gusts through the South of France, Mistral is a quartet of wind instrumentalists who explore music for the genre both old and new. As well as its serious, sometimes destructive side, the Mistral is also responsible for the unusually sunny climate and clear air of Provence. The quartet reflects this contrast in its choice of compositions to perform.

Formed of Sussex-based professional musicians, Mistral has given concerts in Sussex and beyond. Recent concerts have included those at Hamsey Church near Lewes under the auspices of The Musicians of All Saints, the Chapel Royal in Brighton, the Birley Centre in Eastbourne, Saint Nicholas’s church in Brighton and at the Contemporary London Proms. More recently, in January 2025, they gave a recital at Cuckfield church, at which they gave the world premiere of Barry Mills’s Wind Quartet.

There are few, if any, compositions written for this combination of instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon) before 1900, but the quartet has nevertheless found that the available repertoire is very rich and varied, and spans many countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the USA and, of course, the United Kingdom. Where possible, the work of local composers is supported, and work by these is generally included in each concert. Such composers include Peter Copley, Phil Baker and Barry Mills. They have also had a work composed for them by the Munich-based composer, Dorothee Eberhardt. The members of Mistral are Charlotte Munro (flute), Clare Worth (oboe), Philip Edwards (clarinet) and Ian Glen (bassoon).

Programme

Frank Bridge:      Prelude (from 4 Divertimenti)

Eugène Bozza:     Trois Pièces pour une musique de nuit

Barry Mills:          Wind Quartet

Alfred Berger:       Quartet in C major

Richard Rodney Bennett: Travel Notes

Clare Worth

Ian Glen

Charlotte Munro

Philip Edwards