The Keuris Quartet celebrates its tenth anniversary with a big slice of acoustic cake. The ‘Piece of Cake’ programme includes five pieces of Dutch and American origin, full of nods to jazz and improvised music – genres to which the saxophone is closely linked. Specialising in contemporary repertoire, the Keuris Quartet has won several awards over the past decade. ‘Piece of Cake’ is testament to their ability to turn a concert into a party.

A title like Kwispelgerst (‘Wagging Barley’) can put a smile on your face before you’ve even heard a note. Chiel Meijering wrote it back in 1995, but the energetic, grooving piece still sounds as fresh as a daisy. Dan VanHassel composed Schizoid Devices especially for the Keuris Quartet, who know just what to do with the piece’s beatbox-like exhilaration of plops and beeps. The final two pieces, by Michael Torke and Phil Wood, are lighter in tone and culminate in a festive jam session.

In between, central to the programme, is Louis Andriessen’s classic Facing Death (1990). Andriessen originally wrote this for the strings of the Kronos Quartet, but the version for saxes is at least as strong. There is a good case for such an arrangement: Miles David’s autobiography was Andriessen’s inspiration for this ode to his beloved early bebop, and he peppered it with several quotes from bebop king Charlie Parker.

Programme ‘Piece of Cake’

Chiel Meijering – Kwispelgerst
Dan VanHassel – Schizoid Devices
Louis Andriessen – Facing Death
Michael Torke – June, July
Phil Woods – Three Improvisations 

Concert is a part of the Festival Dag in de Branding.