The title and 50th Birthday Celebration subtitle might lead one to expect a compilation of earlier recordings on this 2023 release by the , which amazingly still has two of its original members. However, all of the recordings are newly made, and the arrangements, mostly by members of the quartet, are fresh ones. So these are short pieces of the encore type, but they succeed in avoiding a greatest-hits feel and conveying more of what a really good encore does, namely to suggest the hidden recesses and secrets of a repertory. The album features short works by composers the has championed in the past, including , , and , who makes an appearance with the familiar first movement of the . That is not a piece one would think could be transferred effectively to the string quartet medium, but the arrangement by violist is elegant. That points to another strength of the release: the album highlights the 's independent programming streak, even in so conventional a medium as the encores album. 's tango is another work that one would hardly think of for a project like this, and it is lovely. There is just one contemporary work, 's , effectively placed at the end. This is not only a celebration for fans but also a decent introduction to the group's work for those interested in this venerable British ensemble, and it landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023. ~ James Manheim