WACIDOM

Saturday 22^nd March 2025 1:45pm – 2:30pm

Justine Gormley (Piano)

Programme – Ravel’s 150^th Birthday

Couperin – Le Dodo, ou L’amour au Berceau

Faure – Nocturne No.7

Ravel – Selection from Miroirs : ii Oiseaux Tristes, iii Une barque sur l’ocean

Meredith Monk – Ellis Island

Ravel – Selection from Tombeau de Couperin : i Prelude, v Menuet, vi Toccata

Biography

Justine Gormley is one of Northern Ireland’s emerging young artists since her invitation from Barry Douglas to perform at the highly respected Clandeboye Music Festival and the Belfast International Chamber Music Festival.

Having initially discovered her love for music as a toddler whilst playing nursery rhymes by ear on the family piano, Justine attended the Royal Northern College of Music for her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Artistic Research, and Postgraduate Diploma in Performance. Justine achieved the highest degree classification at each level. Justine studied initially under the tutelage of John Gough, followed by Kathryn Stott from whom she has received guidance for the past three years.

Justine has received notable prizes, including the sought after Irish Heritage Awards following a successful performance at Wigmore Hall, in addition to the Northern Ireland Arts Council (NIAC) Young Musician’s Platform Award. The NIAC award culminated in a solo performance with the Ulster Orchestra conducted by David Brophy, and broadcasts with BBC Radio Ulster.

Aside from her solo engagements, Justine is invested in chamber and orchestral music. She holds a Junior Fellow position at the RNCM and is a London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts young artist.

Next week’s concert : Northerly Winds (Horn, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute)

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Saturday 15^th March 2025 1:45 – 2:30pm

Imogen Garner (mezzo), Ben Holland (viola) and John Gough (piano)

Programme

Gounod Evening Song

Benjamin Dale Two Shakespeare Songs Op 9

O Mistress Mine
Come Away Death

Frank Bridge Three songs for voice, viola and piano

Far, far from each other
Where is it that our soul doth go?
Music, when soft voices die

Winifred Bury Three Songs

Come to Me in My Dreams
Over The Sea
Go, Not Happy Day

Brahms One Song with viola Op.91

Geistliches Wiegenlied (Sacred Lullaby)

Margot Wright Three Northumberland Folk Songs for viola & piano

Billy Boy
Blow the Wind Southerly
The Keel Row

Colin Taylor O can ye sew cushions

Charles Loeffler Dansons la gigue

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.

Benedict Holland studied piano and violin at the Royal Academy of Music and was subsequently a prize winner at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied the violin with Yossi Zivoni.

As a chamber musician, he was a founder member of the Matisse Piano Quartet and the Music Group of Manchester (with double bassist, Leon Bosch). He is currently a member of the virtuoso chamber ensemble I Musicanti and, together with friends David Greed, Heather Wallington and Jen Langridge, of the Victoria Quartet. An experienced orchestral leader, he has guest-led many of the UK’s major orchestras, including the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Orchestra of Opera North and BBC Philharmonic. Until 2023, he was the violinist and occasional violist with contemporary ensemble Psappha.

Ben has always put teaching at the heart of his work, at the RNCM where he was awarded a professorship in 2016. He also gives consultative classes in orchestral and contemporary techniques at Trinity Laban Conservatoire where he is a Visiting Artist.

John Gough was born and bred in Chester. He enjoys a busy career combining solo playing, accompaniment and teaching. 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.

Next week’s concert – Justine Gormley (piano)

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WACIDOM is a voluntary run music society and charity that holds free lunchtime concerts on Saturday afternoons at Holy Trinity Church in Warrington Town Centre. All our concerts are funded by donations.

Our main aim is to offer opportunities to young student musicians, most often from the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music, but sometimes further afield. We also support musicians at the start of their careers as they build repertoire, confidence and platform skills.

In 2024 we celebrated our 500^th free concert which was played by Patron, Leon McCawley and Patron, Sir Stephen Hough kindly offered to play a December concert, to bring our celebratory year to a close.

Sir Stephen asked that donations were to go to WACIDOM to support our work with young and aspiring musicians. He was there once!

Our location link. Our next/current series programme information. Previous concerts link.

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