THE first concert of the Saint Boniface season, played by the highly acclaimed Fibonacci Quartet at Crediton Parish Church on Sunday, May 25, was well-attended and a huge success, bringing the audience to their feet for a standing ovation.

The first work on the programme was String Quartet No 1 by the young Scottish composer, Helen Grime. It evoked the volatile emotions of early motherhood, as well as moments of great tenderness. The quartet were completely on top of the virtuosity needed to deliver this challenging work with its sharp contrasts and rapid syncopations.

Next came Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No 2 (Intimate Letters) written in 1928, played with great passion, warmth and energy. The quartet captured the depth of emotion, the pathos and yearning of the first movement, the intimate mood of the slow movement, the wistfulness of the third and the dance rhythms of the fourth.

After the interval the quartet played “My Life” – String Quartet No1 (1876) by Bedrich Smetana, fittingly introduced by Fibonacci’s Czech violinist. An equally intense work, but on a more traditional harmonic canvas, with passion melting into sweetness and lyricism. The Fibonacci showed truly masterful unanimity, always as one through the changing emotions, phrasing and dynamics: the energy of the Polka and intimacy of the Largo.

Following a standing ovation the quartet played one of their own arrangements of melodies from the shows (“On the street where you live”, etc): an enjoyable encore delivered with the same engaging musicianship as the main works.

The Saint Boniface Concert Society has another four concerts coming up this season, including a recital by the award-winning young Catalan Cellist Gerard Flotats on Thursday, June 12, at 7.30pm in Crediton Parish Church.

All welcome! Details on our website www.bonifaceconcerts.co.uk.

Caroline Romijn