Cabaret-style round tables, performance accompanied by tea, coffee and cake
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
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.
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 is one of Northern Ireland’s emerging musicians since her invitation from Barry Douglas to perform at the Clandeboye Music Festival alongside Ailish Tynan, Michel Lethiec, Richard Watkins and Henri Demarquette, and at the Belfast International Chamber Music Festival.
Having initially discovered her love for music as a toddler while playing nursery rhymes by ear on the family piano, Justine later attended the Royal Northern College of Music for her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Artistic Research, and Postgraduate Diploma in Performance. Achieving 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 four years.
Notable prizes Justine has received include one of the sought-after Irish Heritage awards following a successful performance at Wigmore Hall, the Rose Reilly Memorial Award at the Camerata Ireland Academy, and the Northern Ireland Arts Council’s Young Musician’s Platform Award. The Arts Council award culminated in a solo performance with the Ulster Orchestra conducted by David Brophy, and broadcasts with BBC Radio Ulster. In addition to her awards, Justine was a semi-finalist in the Piano Campus International Piano competition, and a finalist in the Young Pianist of the North International Piano Competition.
Aside from her solo engagements, Justine is invested in chamber and orchestral music. She subsequently holds a Junior Fellow of Accompaniment position at the RNCM and she was the only pianist selected for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyle Future Firsts scheme for the 2024-2025 season. Justine looks forward to becoming a resident accompanist and piano tutor at Uppingham School in September.
