Melbourne based multi-instrumentalists; composers and sound designers The Letter String Quartet are thrilled to reveal their debut recorded material and single ‘All The Stories’ featuring the vocals of Marita Dyson (The Orbweavers), with single launch shows coming up over the next two weeks in Adelaide and Melbourne.
The title track is lifted from The Letter String Quartet’s first album – All The Stories, due for release in early 2020. The collection of songs is a moving song cycle composed by TLSQ’s Biddy Connor with lyrics by poet Maria Zajkowski for the quartet and singer Marita Dyson (The Orbweavers). The album was created in response to the historic Abbotsford Convent site in Melbourne, with each song written from a different point of view and experience.
The innovative and captivating ensemble is made up of Melbourne based musicians Steph O’Hara, Lizzy Welsh, Biddy Connor and Zoë Barry, who are known for their innovative and captivating live performances by pushing the sonic possibilities of the string quartet into new realms.
‘All the Stories’ – “explores the convent grounds as a place of escape, where nature and the mind allow freedom. This freedom is always confined within our experience of it. In this case, some freedoms have been lost and the stories of those who lost them are also lost. Everything comes down to the acceptance of the solitary fact of life being lived alone,” – writes poet and lyricist Maria Zajkowkis.
From collaborating with Australian and international composers, poets and visual artists, to generating transcendental improvised performances, The Letter String Quartet has recorded with Jen Cloher, Augie March, Alice Humphries, Andrew Batterham and Richard J Frankland. The highly sought after string quartet were invited to perform with Gang of Youths at the first Australian MTV Unplugged in 2018, have toured with Laura Jean, have recorded with Mick Harvey as well as presented world premiere commissions by composers Bree van Reyk, Ned Colette, Yana Alana, Wally Gunn and Erik DeLuca. Members of TLSQ have also performed at Supersense Festival of the Ecstatic with esteemed international artists John Cale and Spiritualized.
Outside of the quartets collaborations, The Letter String Quartet have presented their own concert series at Melbourne Recital Centre, Abbotsford Convent, Next Wave, Festival of Live Art, Metropolis New Music Festival, Inland Concert Series, and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and regularly perform with The Orbweavers.
Now, for the first time, audiences have the chance to hear The Letter String Quartet’s recorded music that shimmers with complexity, depth and great beauty.
‘All The Stories’ Single Launch Shows Adelaide
Saturday 5 October – Nexus Arts Support: Fleur Green Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets available via Nexus Arts
Melbourne
Thursday 10 October – La Mama Court House Doors: 8pm
Tickets via lamama.com.au
‘All The Stories’ Credits
Music by Biddy Connor
Lyrics by Maria Zajkowski
Strings and Vocals Recorded by Neil Thomason at Head Gap Recording Studio
Marita’s Vocals recorded by The Orbweavers at Waterway Studio
Mixed by Jed Palmer
Mastered by Casey Rice
Vocals – Marita Dyson
Violin & Vocals – Steph O’Hara
Violin & Vocals – Lizzy Welsh
Viola & Vocals – Biddy Connor
Cello & Vocals – Zoë Barry
