Some comments...
Review of June 7th Concert 2025 at Howgill, Letchworth
Catherine Wilmers (cello) and Helen Shabetai (piano) delighted their capacity audience on Saturday afternoon June 7th with music covering three centuries.
They immediately engaged the audience with Vivaldi’s Sonata No. 6 in Bb, highlighting the contrast between its cantabile Largo movement and the spirited final Allegro.
The Beethoven Seven Variations on a theme from The Magic Flute were strangely spare and sometimes bleak, but rounded off with a witty ending.
There followed three items by women composers: a larger proportion than is achieved in most concerts, even now that music by women is much more to the fore.
Catherine described her detective work in searching out the Three Pieces by Peggy Spencer-Palmer (1900-87). It was both charming and salutary to hear how equal the partnership was between piano and cello, in quite a different way from the Beethoven.
Lalai – a set of pieces by Barbara Heller (b. 1936) was dedicated to fifty Iranian women who had been imprisoned and murdered, and was at times quite heart-rending. It included a cello solo movement built over a percussive drone on a single low piano note achieved by virtue of Helen’s reaching into the piano and raising the relevant damper. This could have been misconstrued as a dramatic effect, but was carried out with discretion appropriate to the message in the music.
The final item was Three Pieces (1915) by Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), which were by turns contemplative, humorous, plaintive and dramatic.
The warm and extended applause persuaded the duo to give an encore: a gentle Lullaby by Alice Verne Bredt (1864-1958). This was an item from Catherine’s latest CD, of music by British women composers, which was released only one day before this recital.
Clifton Hughes
EMAIL AFTER THE CONCERT ON DECEMBER 11th 2021
Hello Catherine and Kate
Thank you for a lovely escape into a different world this afternoon. Such a good partnership.
You made the cello sing and dance as well as be so mournful!
Whilst Kate’s piano playing is so full of emotion too. Beautiful!
We look forward to your next concert.
Have a Merry Christmas.
Bye Jan, Nick and Jacqui
"Catherine Wilmers is a strong and communicative player who looks as though she enjoys being on the platform" - The Guardian
The recording company, ASV, about Catherine's "Cello Century" CD: "An ASV coup - a cello cornucopia of remarkable music all written by British women composers between 1894 and 1994, every piece a world premiere. We owe their resurrection to the extensive researches of that splendid British cellist, Catherine Wilmers, here making her solo recording debut."
"This is an enterprising programme; Wilmers is a sympathetic and attentive guide." - International Record Review
'Mademoiselle est une jeune artiste très bien donnée.' Andre Navarra, 1975
"She proved herself a serious and dedicated musician and a very talented 'cellist", Derek Simpson 1974
The Strad, September 1974 'The most outstanding cellists were Peter Hunt and Catherine Wilmers because they seemed free to associate themselves in depth with the works presented on their programmes, both musically and technically.' Milly Stanfield (Recital Diplomas, Royal Academy of Music)
'It has been my privilege to hear Miss Catherine Wilmers at a number of occasions when her outstanding performances singled her out as a cellist of impeccable technique and intonation, beautiful, rich tone production and excellent, most musicianly phrasing. Miss Wilmers is a complete professional , whom i have no hesitation in recommending as soloist, chamber music player or leading cellist' Karel Horitz, 1978, formerly Principal cellist Royal Phiharmonic, co-principal cellist Royal Opera House orchestra.
After Catherine provided solo cello interludes at a funeral (February 2011) a family member said "You were absolutely brilliant. You did a fabulous job, it could not have been better - beautifully performed and well-chosen works."
From a teacher at a school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, after a "Magic Carpet" concert: "To get such enthusiastic attention from a whole EBD school is extremely impressive" ... "John was mesmerised - I've never seem him sit still for an hour before"... "All the children were really engaged; normally we don't get to enjoy things as we are looking out for badly behaved children".
After a chamber music concert: "Many, many thanks for a superb concert once again - better than ever."
After a cello and piano recital with Ilga Pitkevica: "I have been meaning to write you a fan letter ... it was super and the people I brought with me were bowled over likewise. As ever it was a great programme and of course the playing was superb. What a lovely setting Howgills is, too." 2011
"A very heartfelt thank you to yourself and the others in the trio for such a lovely performance on the occasion of my mother's 80th birthday at The Priory in Hitchin"
After a concert of music by women composers: "People really enjoyed the concert at the Open University; it is so stimulating to hear a programme of music with a different slant, and not by well-known composers."
Catherine Wilmers (cello) and Helen Shabetai (piano) delighted their capacity audience on Saturday afternoon June 7th with music covering three centuries.
They immediately engaged the audience with Vivaldi’s Sonata No. 6 in Bb, highlighting the contrast between its cantabile Largo movement and the spirited final Allegro.
The Beethoven Seven Variations on a theme from The Magic Flute were strangely spare and sometimes bleak, but rounded off with a witty ending.
There followed three items by women composers: a larger proportion than is achieved in most concerts, even now that music by women is much more to the fore.
Catherine described her detective work in searching out the Three Pieces by Peggy Spencer-Palmer (1900-87). It was both charming and salutary to hear how equal the partnership was between piano and cello, in quite a different way from the Beethoven.
Lalai – a set of pieces by Barbara Heller (b. 1936) was dedicated to fifty Iranian women who had been imprisoned and murdered, and was at times quite heart-rending. It included a cello solo movement built over a percussive drone on a single low piano note achieved by virtue of Helen’s reaching into the piano and raising the relevant damper. This could have been misconstrued as a dramatic effect, but was carried out with discretion appropriate to the message in the music.
The final item was Three Pieces (1915) by Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), which were by turns contemplative, humorous, plaintive and dramatic.
The warm and extended applause persuaded the duo to give an encore: a gentle Lullaby by Alice Verne Bredt (1864-1958). This was an item from Catherine’s latest CD, of music by British women composers, which was released only one day before this recital.
Clifton Hughes
EMAIL AFTER THE CONCERT ON DECEMBER 11th 2021
Hello Catherine and Kate
Thank you for a lovely escape into a different world this afternoon. Such a good partnership.
You made the cello sing and dance as well as be so mournful!
Whilst Kate’s piano playing is so full of emotion too. Beautiful!
We look forward to your next concert.
Have a Merry Christmas.
Bye Jan, Nick and Jacqui
"Catherine Wilmers is a strong and communicative player who looks as though she enjoys being on the platform" - The Guardian
The recording company, ASV, about Catherine's "Cello Century" CD: "An ASV coup - a cello cornucopia of remarkable music all written by British women composers between 1894 and 1994, every piece a world premiere. We owe their resurrection to the extensive researches of that splendid British cellist, Catherine Wilmers, here making her solo recording debut."
"This is an enterprising programme; Wilmers is a sympathetic and attentive guide." - International Record Review
'Mademoiselle est une jeune artiste très bien donnée.' Andre Navarra, 1975
"She proved herself a serious and dedicated musician and a very talented 'cellist", Derek Simpson 1974
The Strad, September 1974 'The most outstanding cellists were Peter Hunt and Catherine Wilmers because they seemed free to associate themselves in depth with the works presented on their programmes, both musically and technically.' Milly Stanfield (Recital Diplomas, Royal Academy of Music)
'It has been my privilege to hear Miss Catherine Wilmers at a number of occasions when her outstanding performances singled her out as a cellist of impeccable technique and intonation, beautiful, rich tone production and excellent, most musicianly phrasing. Miss Wilmers is a complete professional , whom i have no hesitation in recommending as soloist, chamber music player or leading cellist' Karel Horitz, 1978, formerly Principal cellist Royal Phiharmonic, co-principal cellist Royal Opera House orchestra.
After Catherine provided solo cello interludes at a funeral (February 2011) a family member said "You were absolutely brilliant. You did a fabulous job, it could not have been better - beautifully performed and well-chosen works."
From a teacher at a school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, after a "Magic Carpet" concert: "To get such enthusiastic attention from a whole EBD school is extremely impressive" ... "John was mesmerised - I've never seem him sit still for an hour before"... "All the children were really engaged; normally we don't get to enjoy things as we are looking out for badly behaved children".
After a chamber music concert: "Many, many thanks for a superb concert once again - better than ever."
After a cello and piano recital with Ilga Pitkevica: "I have been meaning to write you a fan letter ... it was super and the people I brought with me were bowled over likewise. As ever it was a great programme and of course the playing was superb. What a lovely setting Howgills is, too." 2011
"A very heartfelt thank you to yourself and the others in the trio for such a lovely performance on the occasion of my mother's 80th birthday at The Priory in Hitchin"
After a concert of music by women composers: "People really enjoyed the concert at the Open University; it is so stimulating to hear a programme of music with a different slant, and not by well-known composers."