Charles Wood Festival

That’s a wrap for the 8th Charles Wood International Song Competition. The winner of the Senior Final is Aimee Banks, who also won the Irish Prize. The runner-up is Julian Wakley and winner of the Dame Felicity-Lott Song Prize is Cliodhna Regan. A special mention to Aimee Banks who was the winner of the 2023 Junior Charles Wood Song Competition and who has now added the Senior Category to her titles! Thank you to our accompanist Ruth McGinley, as well as our amazing jury - Paul Farrington, Sara Fulgoni and Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle. It has been a fabulous final and an amazing day of music!

Another brilliant session of music awaits us this evening with our Senior Finalists: Natalka Pasicznyk, Ciara Smith, Julian Wakley, Cliodhna Regan and Aimee Banks. Do come along at 7pm to St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral and share in the drama and excitement. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

It was a fantastic Junior Class final this afternoon with incredibly talented young singers. For the first time in the competition's history, the winner is shared between two of the competitors with Cassia Moore and Sophie Bainbridge sharing first place! Congratulations to them as joint winners. Cassia Moore also wins the Charles Wood Song Prize for best performance of a Charles Wood song. Congratulations to all of our five finalists and a massive thank you to our accompanist, Gail Evans.

Just one more sleep until the 2026 Charles Wood International Song Competition. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti… It promises to be a superb day of music-making.

Congratulations to all of our Finalists who will be arriving in Armagh this weekend. Do come along to St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral on Saturday 7th March for what is sure to be an absolute treat. The Junior Class is at 2pm, and the Senior Class is at 7pm. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti… Here is reminder of our Jury this year. Our distinguished jury this year includes British-Italian mezzo-soprano Sara Fulgoni. Sara is internationally acclaimed for her commanding stage presence and extraordinary dramatic intensity, hailed by critics as “the Carmen of the decade.” She has appeared at leading opera houses worldwide in repertoire ranging from Mozart and Verdi to Wagner and Britten, with recent highlights including Fricka, Erda, Brangäne and Mistress Quickly for companies such as Welsh National Opera, English National Opera and Grange Park Opera. A distinguished concert artist, she has worked with major conductors and orchestras including Riccardo Muti and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, recorded extensively for major labels, and created the title role in Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and prize-winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, she remains a regular guest with Welsh National Opera and Grange Park Opera. Paul Farrington (Chair) trained as a classical tenor before dedicating his career to vocal teaching and rehabilitation. A former NHS Clinical Vocal Consultant, he has worked with The Royal Opera House, New National Theatre Tokyo, Göteborgsoperan, and serves as a professor at the Opera Academy in Oslo. His expertise extends to West End productions such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, as well as films including Quartet and The Theory of Everything. Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE, Lord Lieutenant of Belfast and Vice Chair of Northern Ireland Opera, joins us as the new Patron of the International Song Competition. Founder of the Glenarm Festival of Voice, she has a deep passion for nurturing emerging artists and is a respected voice in cultural and musical circles. We look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be an inspiring day of music!

The Senior Final begins at 7:00pm, showcasing the exceptional talents of Natalka Pasicznyk, Ciara Smith, Julian Wakley, Cliodhna Regan and Aimee Banks. Representing prestigious institutions such as the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, and Royal Academy of Music, these accomplished singers will be accompanied by pianist Ruth McGinley, ensuring a captivating evening of music. Ruth McGinley has made her own space as one of Ireland’s most intriguing and exciting musicians. Her career has been wide-ranging and daring, collaborating with some of the most acclaimed musicians working today, and straying from the typical classical-pianist journey. Derry-born Ruth McGinley had already gained widespread recognition as one of Ireland’s leading pianists by the age of 16, winning the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award. She studied at The Royal Academy of Music in London and has performed as soloist with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra. After a long hiatus from performance, Ruth released her debut solo album ‘Reconnection’ to high acclaim in 2016. She was invited to perform as soloist at the BBC Proms in the Park to mark her return to the stage. Her most recent album, ‘Aura’, a collaboration with Belfast composer Neil Martin, is a Classical Reimagining of Irish Airs. Ruth broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, BBC Radio Ulster and Scala Radio. In the last year Ruth has performed as soloist at the Southbank Centre, London in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth, Hall, National Concert Hall in Dublin and at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on St. Patricks Day. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our fifth and final finalist for the Senior Competition is Ciara Smith. Ciara is a soprano and recent graduate of TU Dublin Conservatoire, where she completed a BMus in Vocal Performance. She is currently undertaking a Master’s degree in Performance. Ciara was selected as one of University Concert Hall’s Rising Stars for 2026 and will perform in the Rising Stars concert this April. Most recently, Ciara performed the role of Fiordiligi in TU Dublin’s opera scenes production, Within These Walls. She was also a soloist in the National Concert Hall’s Another Lunchtime at the Operaseries in August. Over the summer, she performed the role of Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen with Dublin City Council’s Opera in the Open and Loughcrew Opera. Ciara will be performing the roles of Marie Curie, Othea, and Aurelie in TU Dublin’s BRAVO project, premiering these roles in both Dublin and Eger, Hungary in October and December of this year. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our fourth Finalist for the Senior Final is Clíodhna Regan. Clíodhna is a 23 year old soprano from County Meath, Ireland. She has recently graduated from a degree in Music Performance from TU Dublin Conservatoire with first class honours, under the tutelage of Mairead Buicke and Aoife O’Sullivan. She is a multi prize winner at Feis Ceoil and TU Dublin conservatoire. Most recently, she was awarded a bursary at the 2025 Derry Feis and the John McCormack Bursary following her first prize win in the Soprano solo at the Feis Ceoil ‘25. In 2025 Clíodhna made her operatic debut with Dublin City Council's ‘Opera in the Open’, in the role of Frasquita (Bizet Carmen), and Despina (Mozart Cosi Fan Tutte). At Loughcrew Estate Opera Cliodhna again performed the role of Frasquita. In 2026, she once again performed the role of Despina in the TU Dublin Conservatoire’s production ‘Within these walls’. Clíodhna was honoured to perform the Soprano Solo in Handel’s Messiah with TU Dublin Choral Society both in Dublin and Armagh. As a chorus member, she has performed in the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival 2023 and 2022. Most recent engagements include joining the Le Foyer des Artistes Young Artist Project 2026 in March in St Columb’s Hall Derry and ‘Yet Another Lunchtime at the Opera’ in November 2025 for Sheldon Nulty Music in the National Concert Hall. Cliodhna performed alongside international acclaimed mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught with the Le Foyer des Artistes in their Midwinter gala concert. As well as performing as a soloist in Black Water Valley Opera Festival’s ‘A Classical Christmas at Mount Juliet’ concert. In 2025 Cliodhna also curated a sold-out charity concert in her local community with Scottish Pianist Connor Wilcox. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our third Senior finalists comes all the way from Austria, Julian Wakley. Julian’s love of singing began at just six years old when he joined his local children’s choir. At twelve, encouraged by his choir teacher, he began private singing lessons — a step that would shape the next stage of his musical journey. Shortly afterwards, he entered the Austrian youth music competition Prima La Musica, going on to compete every year until the age of nineteen. In 2020, he won the regional competition and was awarded second place at national level — a significant achievement in one of Austria’s most prestigious youth music competitions. Since 2021, Julian has been studying with Professor Sebastian Vittucci at the MDW – University of Music and the Performing Arts Vienna, continuing to refine his craft at one of Europe’s leading conservatoires. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our second Senior Finalist is Aimee Banks. Aimee is a soprano from Galway, Ireland. She is currently undergoing a Master’s in Performance at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Janis Kelly as an RCM Scholar. Opera highlights include the title role of Cendrillon by Pauline Viardot, Gamekeepers Wife & Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen (Covered and Performed) Amore and Damigella in L’incoronazione di Poppea, May Zambra in Spirits Unsurrendered by Stephen McNeff, Chorus in Macbeth (BVOF Chorus) and Young Giordano Bruno in Heresy by Roger Doyle. Concert highlights include the University Concert Hall Limerick Rising Stars Concert, BVOF Classics at Christmas and Ann Murray’s Lifetime Achievement Award Gala Concert at the National Concert Hall Dublin. Aimee has also given solo recitals in association with Music for Galway, First Church Belfast and has had solo performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The National Concert Hall of Ireland and The National Gallery of Ireland. Recent performances include Susanna in RCM Opera Scenes, a featured soloist in the RCM Chamber Festival production of A Grand Night for Singing by Rodger’s and Hammerstein conducted by Wayne Marshall and was the Soprano Soloist for the Irish Première Performance of Lumières: A 21st century Baroque Mass, by Jacques Loussier. Aimee was the 2023 winner of the Junior Class of the Charles Wood International Song Competition. In 2026 Aimee won both the Recital Class and Oratorio Class at the David Clover Festival of Singing, in 2025 she received the Thomas Moore Cup, The Percy Whitehead Cup and The Lieder Prize at Dublin’s Feis Ceoil. In recent years she has been awarded the Connolly Award and the Birr Lions Club Bursary from Birr Festival of Music and received the Irene Sandford Award from RIAM Dublin. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our second Senior Finalist is Aimee Banks. Aimee is a soprano from Galway, Ireland. She is currently undergoing a Master’s in Performance at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Janis Kelly as an RCM Scholar. Opera highlights include the title role of Cendrillon by Pauline Viardot, Gamekeepers Wife & Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen (Covered and Performed) Amore and Damigella in L’incoronazione di Poppea, May Zambra in Spirits Unsurrendered by Stephen McNeff, Chorus in Macbeth (BVOF Chorus) and Young Giordano Bruno in Heresy by Roger Doyle. Concert highlights include the University Concert Hall Limerick Rising Stars Concert, BVOF Classics at Christmas and Ann Murray’s Lifetime Achievement Award Gala Concert at the National Concert Hall Dublin. Aimee has also given solo recitals in association with Music for Galway, First Church Belfast and has had solo performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The National Concert Hall of Ireland and The National Gallery of Ireland. Recent performances include Susanna in RCM Opera Scenes, a featured soloist in the RCM Chamber Festival production of A Grand Night for Singing by Rodger’s and Hammerstein conducted by Wayne Marshall and was the Soprano Soloist for the Irish Première Performance of Lumières: A 21st century Baroque Mass, by Jacques Loussier. Aimee was the 2023 winner of the Junior Class of the Charles Wood International Song Competition. In 2026 Aimee won both the Recital Class and Oratorio Class at the David Clover Festival of Singing, in 2025 she received the Thomas Moore Cup, The Percy Whitehead Cup and The Lieder Prize at Dublin’s Feis Ceoil. In recent years she has been awarded the Connolly Award and the Birr Lions Club Bursary from Birr Festival of Music and received the Irene Sandford Award from RIAM Dublin. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Having met our Junior Finalists, it’s time to meet our Senior Finalists for the Senior Final at 7pm on Saturday 7th March! First up is Natalka Pasicznyk. Natalka is a First Class Music graduate of King’s College London, currently studying at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Mary Nelson. In the past, she has been mentored by renowned singers, such as Alex Oomens, Patricia Rozario, Ryland Davies and Nadine Sierra. She has also had masterclasses with renowned artists, Nicky Spence, Roger Vignoles, Dame Felicity Lott, Julius Drake, Brindley Sherratt, Roderick Williams, David Hill and Elly Ameling. Natalka is a Stanley Picker Award Holder, supported by the Pidem Scholarship and the Audrey Sacher Award as well as being kindly supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. Past operatic roles include Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, the role of Adele in Strauss' Die Fledermaus and Spring and Mystery in Purcell’s Fairy Queen. She won the First Prize of the 2024 Dean and Chadlington Singing Competition and the Non-Contemporary Performance Prize in the 2025 Calliope's Call Art Song Competition. Some highlights from 2025 include participating in the Leeds Song Young Artist Programme, performing in Green Opera’s production of TESTAMENT at the Grimeborn Opera Festival and performing the Rooster in the RCM production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Earlier this year, Natalka worked as the soprano cover in Max Richter’s Woolf Works at the Royal Opera House. Having grown up singing Ukrainian folk music with her father and sister, Natalka is enthusiastic about sharing her culture and has become involved with performing Ukrainian classical music. She has sung Ukrainian art songs at the Ukrainian Holland Park Cultural Centre and King’s Place Concert Hall, King’s Cross to raise funds for people affected by the war. In the past, she has been interviewed by the Ukrainian department of the BBC World Service about her musical endeavours as a third-generation Ukrainian soprano. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Charles Wood Festival 2026 – Centenary Alumni Invitation 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Charles Wood’s death, and we have a number of exciting plans and developments for this landmark festival year in August. Alongside our main festival programme, one of our priorities is reconnecting with those who have been part of the Charles Wood Festival and Summer School over the years. On 20–21 August 2026 in Armagh, we are planning a special centenary gathering including a Gala Dinner, rehearsals with David Hill and the Charles Wood Singers, and the opportunity for alumni to sing in our Gala Concert....just like old times! If you have ever been involved in the festival, whether recently or many years ago, we would love to welcome you back. For now, we are simply gathering expressions of interest at charleswoodsummerschool.org/alumni 2026 promises to be a very special year.

Come & Sing with John Rutter in Belfast! As we continue to meet the finalists of our Charles Wood International Song Competition that are competing next week, we’re already looking ahead to another very special moment in the Charles Wood calendar. Don’t forget that Sir John Rutter will be joining us for a Come & Sing at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast on Saturday 18th April 2026 at 3pm. This is a rare opportunity to sing under one of the most beloved choral composers of our time. The afternoon is open to all singers whether you sing regularly in a choir, at school, in church, or simply for the joy of it. No audition or preparation is required and music will be provided on the day. Tickets are £20 and can be booked at charleswoodsummerschool.org/johnrutter

Now that we have met our 5 outstanding young singers who will compete in the Junior Final this Saturday at 2:00pm, we meet their accompanist, Gail Evans, who will taking to the stage alongside Cassia Moore, Cara-Rose Toale, Nicholas Falconer, Sophie Bainbridge and Amélie O'Kelly. Following a ten year teaching career, Gail Evans is now a highly sought after accompanist throughtout Northern Ireland and further afield. As well as working with the Belfast Philharmonic Choirs, the Ulster University Choir and the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland, Gail also enjoys working with Dublin Youth Choir, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, the Charles Wood Festival, the Ulster Orchestra and the Sperrin Choir (where she started he accompanying career at the age of seventeen). Gail has the privilege of working with many accomplished musicians, including conductors such as James Grossmith, Christopher Bell and Jac Van Steen, vocal specialists Paul Farrington and Mary King, instrumentalists such as Sir James Galway and composers such as the late James Whitbourn, Welsh composer Paul Mealor and Irish composer Seán Doherty. Gail has performed throughout Ireland, Scotland, England, Europe and the USA, not only as a choral accompanist but performing with vocalists and instrumentalists for recitals, masterclasses, recordings and festivals. Having had the privilege of learning from Irish pianists Elizabeth Bicker and Stephanie Hughes in her younger years, Gail is now developing her skills under the tutelage and inspiration of London based pianist and author of the award winning book ‘The Complete Pianist’, Penelope Roskell. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our fifth and final finalist for the Junior Class is Amélie O'Kelly. Amélie O'Kelly is an Irish soprano in Year 3, pursuing a Bachelor in Vocal Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music/Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, under the mentorship of Professor Virginia Kerr and répétiteur Dearbhla Collins. In 2025 she won First Prize: The Kennedy Cup at Wicklow Feis for the Ladies Solo Competition, as well as Silver Medal for Lieder. She won First Prize Moore’s Melody Cup 2024 at the Arklow Feis. She won First Prize: Prembrey Cup 2022 at the Wesley Music Festival Dublin in Classical Singing. She was awarded a scholarship to study at Mascarade Opera’s Sacred Music Choral Course in Florence under Mark Spyropoulos, June 2025. She was also awarded further vocal training in the Daniel Ferro Vocal Program, Chianti, Tuscany in July 2025. Amélie has had masterclasses and coachings with esteemed vocalists including Dame Emma Kirkby, Anna Devin, Ira Siff, Florence Katz, Susana Cordón, and Dame Ann Murray. She has portrayed the roles of Zerlina (Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’), Susanna (Mozart’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’), and Serpina (‘Pergolesi’s ‘La Serva Padrona’) in RIAM Opera Snapshots 2024/25/26; Sighle Bowen in ‘Spirits Unsurrendered,’ Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin by Stephen McNeff & ThenThisTheatre 2023; Appointed a Choral Scholar at the Trinity College Dublin Chapel Choir 2024. Amélie has performed solo throughout Ireland including at the Stanford 100 Music Festival Dublin Ireland 2024; St Canice's Cathedral Kilkenny; The Museum of Literature Ireland (MOLI); Methodist Centenary Church Dublin and St. Patrick’s Church Waterford, Ireland. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our fourth finalist for the Junior Class is Nicholas Falconer. Nicholas Falconer is an accomplished choral scholar at St. George’s Church, Belfast, and has been singing since the age of six. He has developed as a confident and expressive vocalist through extensive choral and solo experience, and performed as the treble soloist on the award-winning soundtrack Lost Lives. Nicholas achieved a Distinction in his ARSM while still in secondary school, reflecting a high level of vocal and musical attainment at an early stage. Nicholas is currently studying Music at Queen’s University Belfast, where his vocal development is enriched by a broad musical background. In addition to singing, he is an accomplished pianist, cellist, and jazz drummer, and has a deeply passionate focus on composition and conducting. This wide-ranging musicianship informs his vocal interpretation and musical sensitivity, supporting his work as a developing artist. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our third finalist for the Junior Class is Cassia Moore. Cassia Moore is a nineteen-year-old soprano from County Down. She is working towards her ARSM diploma in Music Performance under the training of Charlotte O’Hare, and has taken a master-class with world-class opera singer, Danielle de Niese. Recently, Cassia has been awarded Voice 1st Prize and the Cordes Prize at the Royal Academy of Music’s New Talent Festival 2025, won 3rd place at the 2025 Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year Competition, and performed as a finalist in the Charles Wood International Song Competition. This year, Cassia has been selected as a Next Generation Artist with Sestina Music. Cassia also sang as part of the Charles Wood Singers 2025. Cassia has accepted an offer to read Modern and Medieval Languages (German and Italian) at the University of Cambridge, after which she plans to use these languages while pursuing Opera and Classical Singing at post-graduate level. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…

Our second finalist for the Junior Class is Sophie Bainbridge. Both the Junior Class at 2pm and the Senior Class at 7pm are open to the public in St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Saturday 7th March. Sophie is a second-year undergraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music under Mary Nelson. Prior to RAM, she studied at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, where she performed in venues such as Wigmore Hall and St James' Palace. Sophie spent the summer singing in charity concerts in France and most recently received the Pamela Hart Third Prize in the Kathleen Ferrier Junior Bursary Competition. Tickets are £5 for each session and can be purchased at the door or online: charleswoodsummerschool.org/song-competiti…