String Quartet No. 1 was inspired by The Lindsays, who gave its first British performances and helped in the preparation of this edition. The work was commissioned by WUNC-FM, with funds from the North Carolina State Department of Cultural Resources, for the inaugural concert and broadcast of the WUNC Composers-in-Context Series. The premiere was given by The Ciompi Quartet at Hill Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on November 21, 1998. The work is dedicated, with gratitude and affection, to Ronnie and Susanne Birks, in celebration of their 20th anniversary of marriage.