This month marks what would have been the 81st birthday of Jacqueline du Pré, one of the most beloved and influential cellists of the twentieth century. Her playing continues to shape how we understand the expressive voice of the cello.
Nancy Green Remembers Jacqueline du Pré
To honor this occasion, we are delighted to share an excerpt from a deeply personal essay by Nancy Green, a distinguished cellist who studied with du Pré and who carries her musical spirit forward in her own distinctive and powerful voice.
Nancy’s article was originally published in the 2025–26 launch issue of the British Cello Society Newsletter, and we are grateful to the British Cello Society for granting permission to share both an excerpt and the full article with our readers.
An Excerpt by Nancy Green
After our lesson, she had invited me for lunch as she often would on our Saturdays together. On these occasions she loved to share her recordings, and I sat close to her wheelchair as we listened to Dvořák’s Silent Woods, a deeply moving performance where the aching cello line moves slowly and inexorably, every note filled to the brim with meaning and profundity.
Jackie’s performance seems to come from beyond the concrete and material world, connecting to something vast and primordial, beyond time itself.
As the piece came to a close, its gentle ecstasy finally coming to rest in utter stillness and silence, she saw me trying with all my might to hold back tears. She reached for my hand and looked directly into my eyes with a look that is burned into my memory and brings tears to my eyes even now, a penetrating look of utter compassion for the shared human experience.
Excerpt from “Jacqueline du Pré” by Nancy Green, originally published in the British Cello Society Newsletter 2025–26 (launch issue). Reproduced with permission of the British Cello Society.
Silent Woods: A Musical Lineage
To hear this lineage across generations, we invite you to listen to Silent Woods as performed by Nancy Green—followed by Jacqueline du Pré’s iconic interpretation of the same work.
Nancy Green performs Dvořák: Silent Woods
Jacqueline du Pré performs Dvořák: Silent Woods
Hearing the same piece through two voices—teacher and student—reminds us that music lives on through those who play it: each cellist unique, yet each a vital link between past and future.
Read the Full Essay
The complete article by Nancy Green is available as a PDF, shared here with the permission of the British Cello Society.
👉Download the full article here: Jacqueline du Pré – by Nancy Green
We encourage readers to explore the work of the British Cello Society and their efforts to support and connect cellists throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. 🔗 https://www.britishcellos.org
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