The four movements of String Quartet No. 5 (2025) have titles taken from places in London, England. Although these titles were prompted from a visit to the city, except for “Kennington Park,” the music is not connected to memories of the specific places, but rather it is pure music springing from imagined “poetic images” conjured solely by the names.

“Elephant & Castle” begins with serene chords in the upper strings that gradually gain greater decoration. Under this, a robust and dramatic cello line emerges.

“Embankment” is an animated discourse between the four instruments. Beginning largely separately, they begin to combine more and more, climaxing with the two violins in light, fast activity over a long melody in the viola and cello. The instruments pull apart again and dissolve into glissandi.

“Kennington Park” is a musical conflation of two evenings spent in the park as sunset approached. The movement begins with hymn-like music, the phrases of which are separated by darker interjections. A melody in the two violins against pulsations in the viola and cello leads to a full-throated presentation of the hymn-like music, before a chime-like coda.

“Battersea” begins with an extended passage in unison/octaves, with its perpetual motion energy disrupted by syncopations. The movement’s discourse evolves through a contrast of both harmonic and melodic ideas, an increase in silence, and the eventual arrival at a coda that is somewhat open-ended.