Limerick's Catherine O’Carroll (soprano) joins the Orpheus Choir under director Hilary Reynolds for the first time on Friday night, May 30 at St George's Church, Mitchelstown in what is a fundraiser for church and is also the first concert in North Cork Classical Music's 2014 series. Ms O'Carroll will be joined by baritone Andrew Thomson and the evening will also feature the locally based James Fitzgerald Memorial Band under the baton of Seanie Chamberlain.

Catherine evolved to soprano in the last year having initially studied as a mezzo-soprano with Dr Veronica Dunne in Dublin. In 2010 Catherine completed postgraduate studies in opera, still as a mezzo-soprano at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying under Dr Suzanne Murphy and Angela Livingstone. She continued her studies in London with Prof Susan McCulloch and Jane Robinson (ENO) and has since returned to Ireland and studies with Dearbhla Collins.

In Ireland, Catherine has been the winner of numerous competitions and has also won many bursaries and scholarships for her studies including, The Sir Geraint Evans Scholarship, The Laura Ashley Foundation Scholarship and bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland and The John McCormack Society Dublin.

As a mezzo-soprano Catherine had the opportunity to perform a variety of roles, too numerous to mention here. However, she is equally at home on the recital and concert platform as on the operatic stage and has performed extensively as a soloist throughout Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland and Italy.

This season Catherine is performing as a soloist and entertainer with the world renowned Bunratty Castle Entertainers and also continues to perform in recital and opera galas. She is keenly looking forward to her visit to Mitchelstown and hopes her debut with Orpheus will be the first of many performances with the choir.

ANDREW THOMSON

Scottish baritone, Andrew Thomson, developed a love of music at a very early age, studied piano and sang in numerous theatre groups and Scottish Opera productions. He won several awards for both piano and singing and played leading roles in music theatre productions, such as 'West Side Story', 'Cabaret' and 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'.
After taking an Arts Degree in Music, English and History at Glasgow University, Andrew moved to Ireland in 2001 and has since studied singing with Hilary Reynolds L.R.A.M. (London), passing the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 8 exam with Distinction.
Andrew made a highly successful professional concert debut in April of this year to a packed house in the Village Arts Centre in Kilworth; an event that marks, after years of training, not just the fulfillment of a childhood dream, but also the beginning of a lifetime dedicated to music, both in passing on his knowledge and skills to others as a piano and singing teacher and in developing to ever greater heights his talents as a performing artist.

Tickets for this gala event in St George's Church, Mitchelstown are now on sale and can be had from a number of sources - from Hilary Reynolds and choir members, from Seanie Chamberlain and band members, from Hyland's Bookshop, Mitchelstown (025-24528), from Jane on 022-26257 or Maureen on 087-6492514.

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