Art Song Concert: Lucy Farrimond & Justine Gormley

Join soprano Lucy Farrimond and pianist Justine Gormley for an evocative lunchtime of English song...

...featuring repertoire from her upcoming debut album 'Where the Heart Roams'. With a voice praised for its clarity and expressiveness, Lucy brings to life a richly pastoral and romantic programme rooted in British musical tradition. The recital explores themes of nature, nostalgia, and love, with works by Muriel Herbert, Dorothy Pilling, Roger Quilter, Ivor Gurney, and Eric Coates. Audiences will enjoy well-loved favourites such as Vaughan Williams’ 'Silent Noon' and Finzi’s spirited 'It Was a Lover and His Lass', alongside lesser-heard gems like 'The Joy of Earth' and 'A Song of Enchantment' by Ina Boyle. The programme also features 'The Familiar Path', a new work by Lucy herself, whose compositional voice here is inspired by her Northern heritage. This intimate recital promises a lyrical journey through quiet countryside, tender reflections, and timeless melodies.

Ina Boyle - The Joy of Earth
Ina Boyle - A Song of Enchantment
Dorothy Pilling - Colours
Roger Quilter - Dream Valley
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Silent Noon
Eric Coates - Bird Songs at Eventide
Ivor Gurney - The Fields are Full
Gerald Finzi - It Was a Lover and His Lass
Muriel Herbert - How Beautiful Is Night
Muriel Herbert - The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Lucy Farrimond - The Familiar Path
Ivor Novello - Waltz of My Heart

British lyric soprano Lucy Farrimond has appeared at leading venues across the UK and internationally, including the Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Snape Maltings, St John’s Smith Square, The Stoller Hall, and the British Embassy in Paris. She made her BBC Proms solo debut at the age of 21, performing Haydn’s The Creation with the BBC Philharmonic at the Royal Albert Hall—praised by The Guardian. She has since appeared with orchestras including the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orchestre de Chambre du Luxembourg, under conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Sakari Oramo, Omer Meir Wellber, and David Parry.

Lucy’s recent operatic engagements include Eleonora (Le donne curiose), Bianca (La Rondine), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Dorinda (Orlando), and Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Sequenda Opera in Luxembourg. She will soon make her role debut as Rosa in the British premiere of Saint-Saëns’ The Silver Bell with New Sussex Opera. She has also performed operatic excerpts as Mimì, Zerlina, and Gilda for the Musique Cordiale Festival in France. Recent concert highlights include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Bernstein’s MASS, and Handel’s Messiah, alongside performances of Vivaldi’s Gloria, Fauré’s Requiem, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and The Creation, and Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass. She has performed with ensembles including the Manchester and London Concert Orchestras and appeared as a soloist for Raymond Gubbay Live in major UK concert halls. An acclaimed recitalist, Lucy has appeared at the C. Bechstein Centre, Parbold Douglas Music, and cathedrals across the UK.

A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied with Jane Irwin, Lucy was a finalist in the RNCM's Williams-Howard Competition, receiving the Amanda Ira Aldridge Honourable Mention Prize. Other notable awards include First Prize (International Category) in Michigan's George Shirley Competition and the prize for 'Singing Excellence' at Chetham's School of Music. Alongside her performing career, Lucy is a committed educator and advocate for accessibility in opera. She has served as Event Manager for the National Student Opera Society, is a trustee of Wigan Music Society, and hosts the podcast All Things Opera. A polyglot with a passion for language, she also works as a supporting actress for television and film, and is an accomplished composer, with works broadcast on BBC television. Lucy is represented by Connaught Artists.

Justine Gormley, who comes from Belfast, discovered her love of the piano when she was found as a toddler playing nursery rhymes by ear. In 2017 she was accepted into the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied for her degree with Senior Tutor in Piano, John Gough. Justine has had many successes in competitions, including the special Accompanist’s Prize at the Irish Heritage auditions in the Wigmore Hall in 2019, and the Rose Reilly Memorial Award (an audience award) at Barry Douglas’ ‘Camerata Ireland Academy’. She was also a finalist in the 2019 Young Pianist of the North International Piano Competition, and has been successful in the FeisCeoil Music Festival in Dublin. Justine has taken part in masterclasses by internationally known pianists such as Barry Douglas, Bernard d’Ascoli and Kathryn Stott, whom she was selected to perform alongside in concert in a piano duo at the RNCM. Justine has performed in various solo and chamber settings across England and Ireland and has appeared as a soloist at the Lisbon International Youth Music Festival in Portugal. She has been interviewed and broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster.
 

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