Saturday 15th November 2025 – 1:45pm – 2:30pm
Imogen Garner (mezzo), Laurie Ashworth (soprano), Michael Jones (tenor), John Gough (piano)
Programme
Verdi La Traviata “Brindisi”
Mozart
The Magic Flute “Dies Bildnis” (This Portrait)
The Marriage of Figaro “Voi, che sapete” (You who know what love is)
Saint Saens Samson and Delilah “Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix” (My heart opens to your voice)
Gounod Faust “Jewel Song”
Delibes Lakme “Duet”
Puccini Tosca “E Lucevan le stelle” (and the stars were shining)
Gilbert and Sullivan
Mikado “Katisha”
Pirates of Penzance “Pirates Duet”
Monkton and Wimperis The Arcadians “Pipes of Pan”
Sartori “Time to say goodbye”
Strauss Die Fledermaus “The Champagne Trio”
Biographies
Mezzo-soprano Imogen Garner studied Economics at Sheffield University, then following a year’s teacher training changed career and studied at the RNCM. Chester-based, Imogen has covered several roles with English National Opera and has enjoyed a long association with the Buxton Festival, where she has covered roles and has sung as a soloist in concerts and live broadcasts on BBC Radio 4. Imogen has performed with Scottish Opera, Birmingham Opera, Heritage Opera, Swansea City Opera and Flat Pack Music. Roles she has performed include Carmen, Orlofsky, Marcellina, Florence Pike, Dorabella, Orfeo, Mrs Grose, Third Lady, Katisha and Berta. Imogen also enjoys giving song recitals at venues throughout the Northwest with her accompanist John Gough and is a regular soloist with choral societies.
Soprano, Laurie Ashworth was born in Wigan, Lancashire and she has established herself as highly sought-after concert artist, specialising in oratorio, recital and recording, which she combines with a busy teaching career. Laurie commenced her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Caroline Crawshaw. She graduated with first class honours and was awarded the RNCM Gold Medal, the college’s highest accolade for performance. Awards from The Arts and Humanities Research Council and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust enabled Laurie to complete her Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Patricia Rozario and Janis Kelly, graduating with distinction. In 2010 following an acclaimed performance of Jonathan Dove’s song “Full Fathom Five”, Laurie was awarded the Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. In the same year she was a finalist and runner-up in BBC Radio 2’s The Kiri Prize; a nationwide search by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the BBC to find a new operatic star. Laurie has performed at all of the UK’s major venues, making her Wigmore Hall recital debut in 2014 and her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012. She has appeared regularly in broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 and 3, and Songs of Praise, and she features as the soprano soloist on the premiere recordings of Bob Chilcott’s “Requiem” (Hyperion Records) and “St. John Passion” (Signum Records). Aside from performing, Laurie is regularly on the judging panel for the BBC Young Chorister of the year Competition.
Keen to expand her horizons, Laurie co-founded the vocal duo Eterni Amici with saxophonist Spencer Moran. The duo performed regularly on Viking Ocean Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Fred Olsen Cruise Line pre-pandemic, but Laurie is returning to the ships for short contracts in 2025!
Manchester born tenor Michael Vincent Jones completed his Bms, MMus, and PGDip at the RNCM.
In 2018 Michael premiered the role of Dieter in Adam Gorb’s “The Path to Heaven” and performed the role of Lurcher in Cellier’s “Dorothy” with Victorian Opera conducted by Richard Bonynge. He is a 2016 Iford Arts New Generation Artist. In 2019 Michael premiered the role of Hephaestus in Tim Benjamin’s “The Fire of Olympus” with Radius Opera, he also covered the role of First Priest/Judge of the dead in a new production of Birtwistle’s “The Mask of Orpheus” with English National Opera. In December 2019 Michael appeared in Northern Opera Group’s Christmas production of Pfitzner’s “The Christmas Elf” and performed the role of Squire in their 2020 production of Thomas Arne’s “Thomas and Sally”. In 2021 he appeared as Dr. Parkins in Mander’s “Whistle” and “I’ll come to you my lad”, and Tenor in Verelst’s “Crocodile” as part of Hull Urban Opera’s “Bumps in the Night”. In 2022 Michael performed the role of Don Jose in Bizet’s “Carmen” with both Preston Opera and Bolton Symphony Orchestra. In 2024 Michael returned to Hull to play the role of Maurice in the premier of Verelst’s “The End of the World Party” as well as playing the Pied Piper in Northern Opera Group’s production of Parry’s “The Pied Piper”. In 2025 he performed the tenor solo in Mahler’s “Das Lied Von der Erde” with Muzik Fermata as part of their opening concert in Oxford.
John Gough was born and bred in Chester. He enjoys a busy career combining solo playing, accompaniment and teaching at the RNCM. He has broadcast many times on BBC Radio 3 and has performed at the Wigmore Hall, London, and as soloist with the RLPO and Northern Chamber Orchestras. Overseas, he has performed at the Carnegie Hall, New York, and on Danish Radio.
This is the last concert in the current series! It’s come all too soon! We hope that you have enjoyed the Autumn Series of concerts and we look forward to starting back at Holy Trinity on 7th February 2026 for our Spring Series!
In the meantime, (I know it’s a little early!) we hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Sharon, Diane, Brian, Irina, Helen and Gina
