Smith’s Alchemy

Smith’s Alchemy for string orchestra derives from Carl Vine’s String Quartet No. 3. This 15-minute work seeks to transform the individual instruments into a single super instrument while capitalising on their natural singing qualities - a kind of aural alchemy. Commenting on this arrangement of the original quartet version of the piece, Vine says that “the potential to share difficult techniques across more than one instrument has in many ways liberated the music, allowing greater emphasis on its lyrical qualities.