The joy of chamber music was celebrated in full force at the Darlington Quartet’s recent performance at Western Australia’s Government House. The Quartet, comprising Semra Lee-Smith, Zak Rowntree (violins), Sally Boud (viola) and Jon Tooby (cello), performed two vibrant string quartets: the first quartets of two similarly vibrant composers, Tchaikovsky and Ravel. Regularly performing as part of the chamber music program in the regional town of Darlington, the quartet’s members are drawn from the ranks of the Australian String Quartet and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Seeing these four musicians perform together was a genuine delight, the nature of the concert itself allowing for a connected and communicative experience.

Darlington Quartet

The concert is the first in the Music on the Terrace’s Soirée Series, held in the Green Room of Government House. The performance space itself hearkened back to the origins of the chamber music genre; concurrently elegant and intimate, allowing the audience to see the inner workings of the ensemble up close. Large windows to the south allowed a soft light from the late afternoon sun to percolate in, contributing to the overall chamber-style aesthetic.

Done away with were the concert blacks, further...