Partita by Sally Beamish is a 24-minute work for string octet in three movements (Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne). Taking the idea of a Partita, which is traditionally a suite for a solo instrument, Sally Beamish treats the string octet as a single entity – almost like a bowed keyboard – as well as being an ensemble of soloists. Each movement reworks a fragment of Bach, Handel and Mendelssohn in turn, with the final movement having eight variations, each featuring a different member of the octet....