Tippett Quartet Performs Film Composers Gunning and Herrmann

The Tippett Quartet is scheduled to perform a lunchtime recital on 9 April 2026 as part of the London Soundtrack Festival. The ensemble will present concert works by celebrated film composers Christopher Gunning and Bernard Herrmann, focusing on pieces written outside the context of screen productions.

The performance will take place at St Giles’ Cripplegate in London. This venue holds a specific historical connection to Bernard Herrmann, who recorded his Oscar-nominated score for the Brian de Palma film Obsession at the location. The score for Obsession was released after Herrmann’s death.

Programming and Performers

The recital will feature the Tippett Quartet and clarinetist Robert Plane. The program includes Bernard Herrmann’s 1965 Clarinet Quintet, Souvenirs de Voyage, which the composer dedicated to Norma Shepherd, his third wife.

The ensemble will also perform String Quartet No. 1 by Christopher Gunning. Composed in 1997 and revised in 2005, this work is described as rarely heard. The quartet’s four movements are constructed around a three-note motif—C, D, and G—which Gunning used to communicate poetic intimacy, joy, and stress.

Music is the communicating link between the screen and the audience, reaching out and enveloping all into one single experience.

Bernard Herrmann

Composer Legacies

Christopher Gunning (1944–2023) established a significant presence in both the concert hall and the film industry. He is widely recognized for his BAFTA-winning scores for productions such as Poirot and Middlemarch, as well as La Vie En Rose. While his String Quartet No. 1 was one of his earliest concert works, he also composed numerous symphonies, and concertos.

Bernard Herrmann (1911–1975) remains one of the most influential figures in film music. His career included the creation of thrilling scores for Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver, Jason and the Argonauts, and Psycho. The Tippett Quartet’s exploration of Herrmann’s concert works followed their experience performing the Psycho score live to picture.

The London Soundtrack Festival

The London Soundtrack Festival is the first festival in London dedicated to the celebration of music from games, television, and film. The creation of the festival was inspired by Christopher Gunning and aims to reflect the increasing enthusiasm for these genres.

The festival highlights London’s status as a global center for soundtracks, noting the city’s musicians, creative artists, and legendary recording facilities. Violinist Jeremy Isaac of the Tippett Quartet noted that the ensemble feels equally comfortable on stage and in the studio, and that bringing these two environments together is a significant joy.

Event Details

• Date: 9 April 2026
• Location: St Giles’ Cripplegate, EC2Y 8DA
• Duration: Approximately 1 hour, without an interval
• Ticket Price: £15, subject to booking fees