Working with a harpsichordist – further tours – Tertis as teacher – a shock retirement and farewell dinner – appreciations for a great artist

Among Violet Gordon Woodhouse's circle, who met regularly over the years in London, Lypiatt and Armscote were the Sitwells, Ethel Smyth, Arnold Dolmetsch, Augustin Rubio, Enrique Fernandez Arbos, Arthur Waley and Tertis. On 5 March 1935 Tertis gave a recital at the Wigmore Hall with Violet playing the harpsichord; their programme took in pieces by Handel, Martini, Mozart, Galuppi, Tartini, Scarlatti, Telemann, Porpora, Vaughan Williams, Kalnis, Poulenc and Marais. The Times reported that ‘everything was exceedingly well played, though one felt that the viola's tone was sometimes too dry, especially on the top string. The viola tone seemed to take off some of the sparkle of the harpsichord, which sounded better in the solo music.’ The review in Musical Times was of the same opinion:

In the 1930s Tertis often played with Violet in the drawing room of her home at Nether Lypiatt Manor. He must have achieved a gentle muted effect, for Eve Simmonds thought his viola and Violet's clavichord ‘very well balanced and beautifully together’. A critic wrote: ‘Segovia on the guitar, Lionel Tertis on the viola, Casals on the cello and Violet Gordon Woodhouse on the harpsichord may be classed together as the four who can distil from these instruments the purest musical essence.’

Another of Tertis's concerto transcriptions had been taking shape, this time of the double concerto for violin and cello by Frederick Delius. After Delius's death in 1934 Jelka Delius wrote to Tertis: