This violinist’s E string SNAPPED just before his solo – but he recovered like a legend
19 March 2019, 15:56 | Updated: 19 March 2019, 16:25
The moment you have to quickly switch violins with your desk partner… and find out they don’t use a shoulder rest.
Thomas Gould had this unfortunate realisation when his E string snapped a few bars before the violin solo in Benjamin Britten’s song cycle, Les Illuminations.
Swiftly swapping instruments with his desk partner (what a cool response from her!), the British violinist soon realised his partner’s violin had no shoulder rest.
But he managed to make it through the solo with incredible levels of accuracy.
Even cellist Steven Isserlis was impressed:
That's what you get for using a steel E...but brilliantly recovered - almost the definition of cool...
— Steven Isserlis (@StevenIsserlis) March 19, 2019
Les Illuminations (1940) was performed here by Thomas Gould and the Northern Chords Chamber Orchestra.
You can see him at the Royal Albert Hall this week, as he plays music by Vaughan Williams, Monti and Vivaldi with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. More information and tickets here.
