Saturday 21st November 2026 – 1:45pm – 2:30pm
Imogen Garner – Mezzo-soprano, Sarah Helsby Hughes – Soprano, John Gough – Piano
Programme
Mozart
Via resti servita – Duettino (No 5) from Act I – The Marriage of Figaro
Porgi amor – Opens Act II
Letter duet – Soprano duet, Act III
Una Donna quindici anni – Aria from Act II, Scene I – Cosi fan tutte
Puccini O mio babbino caro (O my dear papa) – Gianni Schicci
Delibes Dôme épais le jasmin (Flower duet) – Lakme
Bizet Seguidille – Carmen
Offenbach Barcarolle – Tales of Hoffman
Saints-Saens Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix (Softly awakes my heart) – Samson et Dalilah
Verdi Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore Act II (I have lived for art, I have lived for love) – Tosca
Monteverdi Pur ti miro (I adore you) – The Coronation of Poppea
Rossini Duetto buffo di due gatti (Humorous duo for two cats)
Biographies
Imogen Garner, Mezzo-soprano, 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 sung as a soloist in concerts and live broadcasts on BBC Radio 4. Imogen has performed with numerous prestigious opera companies and has performed roles including Carmen, Orlofsky, Marcellina and many more. She also enjoys giving song recitals at venues throughout the Northwest with her accompanist, John Gough and joined by Ben Holland in Trio Deva. She is a regular soloist with choral societies.
Sarah Helsby Hughes from Liverpool, studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Since graduation, Sarah’s singing career has taken her all over the world, performing with numerous prestigious opera companies. She has performed professionally over 20 leading soprano roles in opera and operetta, including Violetta, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and many more. She also created the role of Mary Crawford in Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park, and the role of Gloria n Alan E Williams and Ian MacMillan’s ‘The Arsonists’, an opera written to be sung in South Yorkshire dialect, which streamed live on the BBC. Sarah began directing whilst still at college. She is Head of Opera for Flatpack Music, and director in residence for Midland Opera in Birmingham and has directed and designed over 30 opera productions for various professional and amateur companies including Haddon Hall, The Pirates of Penzance and the Mikado for the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival.
John Gough was born and bred in Chester. Following studies as a scholarship student at the RNCM, he has enjoyed a career combining solo playing with chamber music and accompaniment. He has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London, the Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. He has also appeared with the RPO ‘Pops’, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Northern Chamber Orchestra in addition to many BBC broadcasts, often featuring works by John Ireland after winning the John Ireland Centenary Piano Competition. He also enjoyed giving live broadcasts of the complete piano quartets of Brahms, Dvorak and Faure.
This is the last concert in the current series. We hope you have enjoyed the Autumn Series and would like to thank you for your support during 2026. We look forward to seeing you again at Holy Trinity on 6th February 2027 when we welcome the Eberle Piano Trio (Violin, Viola, Piano)
In the meantime, may we be the first to wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful festive season
Sharon, Diane, Brian, Irina, Helen, Gina, Mike, Jean and Peter.
