Talented trio delight church music fans
THE audience at Rochdale’s weekly concerts at St Mary in the Baum were delighted by three promising young performers at the onset of their careers.
Ann Wilkes and Ryan Hunt are both fourth year singing students at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Ryan, who hails from Bolton, opened the concert with songs by Muriel Herbert and later by Quilter in a charming youthful tenor voice that promises much for the future.
Soprano Ann, from Huddersfield, contributed a variety of Shakespearean settings with a great deal of authority and range of expression.
They blended well in the attractive duets by Coleridge Taylor and Quilter and completely charmed the audience with their finale of Ivor Novello’s We’ll Gather Lilacs.
Both were expertly accompanied by pianist Zi Xhang, who began to study piano in Shandong, China, at the age of four.
Since graduating from the Bejing Conservatoire she is studying accompaniment at the RNCM.
She also played Mozart’s Sonata K331 with tremendous passion and skill.
On Wednesday soprano Jessica Hope and tenor Christopher Littlewood perform from 12.30pm.
The following week, Wednesday, November 30, Jessica is joined by mezzo Ingvild SchultzeFlorey. Entrty is £4. For more details call Dr Dawson 648872.