Guy Johnston and the Britten Sinfonia perform the second movement of the Howells Cello Concerto, in this video from Matthew Carkeek.

Herbert Howells (1892-1983) was a British composer who is renowned not only for his church music, but his chamber and orchestral works written around the First World War. He began sketches for the cello concerto in 1933 and continued working on the piece as a way to deal with the death of his nine-year-old son, Michael, who died of polio in 1935.

Johnston will appear with the Britten Sinfonia in its upcoming tour in the UK and Ireland from 9 to 20 February 2024, where he will perform John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil. Find out more here: https://www.brittensinfonia.com/events/the-protecting-veil

Best of Technique

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Masterclass

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.