The cello and the nightingales: the autobiography of Beatrice Harrison

Beatrice Harrison wrote her autobiography shortly before her death in 1965. Written with infectious zest, this book tells the story of an historic career, from pre-1914 days when Beatrice studied in Germany and, much to the Kaiser's disgust, carried off the coveted Mendelssohn Prize at the age of 17, to the Second World War. In 1924, Harrison became world famous with a BBC broadcast, from her Surrey garden, of a nightingale accompanying her cello - the first of many live broadcasts that sent the public wild with enthusiasm. Beatrice Harrison gives vivid glimpses of the musical life of her time, in which she shared with three exceptionally gifted sisters. She tells of her adventures touring in the early years of the century in Europe, Russia and America, meeting such figures as Faure, Popper, Glazunov, Paderewski and Kodaly. She associated with many of the important composers of one of the richest era of English music. Delius wrote his Double Concerto for Beatrice and her sister, May, after hearing them play. In 1924, Beatrice Harrison broadcast a miracle to the world: a wild nightingale singing with her cello. Over a million people tuned in to hear the nightingale that night, and the BBC went on to broadcast their duet worldwide every spring until 1942. This transformed the public interest in nightingales – a species already in decline. If Beatrice's duets with the nightingales touched a chord with the world, her own life proved to be as musical, free-spirited and inspiring. From her early years as a musical prodigy to recording with the most important composers of the day or playing for the wounded in the Second World War, Beatrice's warmth and love for sharing music are as endearing now as they were to her original audiences. Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Illustrations Introduction to Canongate edition Editor’s Preface Introduction to the first edition 1: ‘Baba play tello!’ 2: ‘Mr Wood was very pleased’ 3: The Mendelssohn Prize 4: Glorious Pietro and the Double Brahms 5: ‘Expect us on the Lusitania’ 6: Delius and Elgar 7: Foyle Riding and the Nightingales 8: Fêtes Champêtres and Sixpenny Concerts 9: ‘The setting sun, and music at the close’ Afterword Discography Index Edited By Patricia Cleveland-peck ; Foreword By Julian Lloyd Webber. Includes Index. Discography: P. 168-172.