Beatrice Harrison was undoubtedly the most charismatic English cellist of the first half of the 20th century. Born in 1892 in India, she was the second of four prodigiously talented sisters that pursued successful musical careers. She studied in London and then at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik where she earned the double distinction of becoming the first cellist and the youngest competitor to be awarded the prestigious Mendelssohn Prize. Harrison was particularly devoted to English music, giving the first performance of works by Delius and John Ireland. But she is best remembered as Elgar’s preferred soloist in his Cello Concerto which she recorded twice with the composer during the 1920s. She became a household name at this time for the remarkable rendition of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Chant Hindou which she performed in dialogue with the singing nightingales in her garden in Surrey. It was subsequently recorded and broadcast frequently on the BBC. Not surprisingly, she gave the title The Cello and the Nightingales to her colourful autobiography.
