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Catherine Backhouse and Elspeth Wyllie
"Soon the mezzo-soprano solo is introduced, here sung by the fabulous Catherine Backhouse, one of Scotland’s finest singers, and her powerful and incisive singing penetrated every corner of St Cuthbert’s. Her range is phenomenal, with sonorous lower notes matched by a thrilling top... she revealed a clarity of diction and expression which was faultless."
“Backhouse’s mezzo was rich and vibrant, full of character and expressively phrased."
Duo - Vocal & Instrumental
Instrumentation
- Catherine Backhouse - Voice (mezzo-soprano)
- Elspeth Wyllie - Piano
Repertoire
Our recital ‘Emotionally Volatile’ is a rare chance to enjoy an entire programme of music written by women. Catherine and Elspeth have crafted a varied programme of their favourite songs by composers including Clara Schumann, Rebecca Clarke, Amy Beach, Thea Musgrave, Judith Weir and Pauline Viardot.
Other repertoire we perform together: Elgar 'Sea Pictures', Schumann 'Frauenliebe und Leben', Wagner 'Wesendonk Lieder', Britten 'Cabaret Songs', Poulenc 'Quatre Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire', a selection of favourite operas arias, a selection of Scottish folk song arrangements and we intersperse songs with solo piano pieces.
Biography
Catherine Backhouse studied at St Mary's Music School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was a Scottish Opera Emerging Artist. Highlights include Preziosilla (La Forza del Destino) for Regent’s Opera, Concepción (L’heure Espagnole) for Grange Park Opera (film) and Mid-Wales Opera, Isabella (L’Italiana in Algeri) with Diva Opera, Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) with West Green House Opera, Kate Julian (Owen Wingrave) at the Aldeburgh and Edinburgh International Festivals. On the concert platform The Angel in Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Verdi’s Requiem, Irene in Handel’s Theodora. Next year she will play Waltraute in Wagner’s Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung with Regent’s Opera.
Scottish pianist Elspeth Wyllie performs as a solo, chamber and choral pianist throughout the UK. She studied at St Mary’s Music School, the University of Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music. She loves to seek out rare quality repertoire, as heard in her debut recording ‘Enigmas’. She has performed live on BBC Radio Scotland.