Saturday 15th 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)