United Kingdom 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice: Competition Finale: Clare Quinn (soprano), Éadaoin Hassett (soprano), Aimee Kearney (soprano), Jacq Herbots (tenor), Tristan Russcher (piano), Orlaith Sharkey (piano). Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenarm, Northern Ireland. 24.8.2025. (RB)
Opera Arias:
Mozart – ‘Batti, batti o bel Masetto’ from Don Giovanni
Donizetti – ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima’ from L’elisir d’amore
Mozart – ‘Padre, Germani addio’ from Idomeneo
Mozart – ‘Deh Vieni, non Tardar’ from Le nozze di Figaro
Opera Duets:
Bellini – ‘Mira o Norma’ from Norma
Donizetti – ‘Tornami a Dir Che M’ami’ from Don Pasquale
Rossini – ‘Non bastan quelle lagrime’ from Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghliterra
Gilbert & Sullivan – ‘I know a Youth’ from Ruddigore
Irish Song Selection:
Philip Martin – ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’
Hamilton Harty – ‘The Stranger’s Grave’
Philip Green – ‘Gortnamona’
Philip Martin – ‘The Fiddler of Dooney’
Glenarm is a historic coastal village which forms part of the Glens of Antrim and is known for its outstanding natural beauty. Since 2010 Northern Ireland Opera has hosted an annual festival of voice in Glenarm and the surrounding villages. The festival culminates in a final concert where several young singers compete for a number of prizes. This year, four young singers from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland reached the competition final. They offered a range of demanding and contrasting repertoire and the standard of singing was exceptionally high. They were accompanied by Tristan Russcher and, Peter Rankin Piano Intern, Orlaith Sharkey. The patron of Northern Ireland Opera, Sean Rafferty, introduced the operatic numbers from the stage and spoke to the competitors as the competition progressed.
Three of the four finalists opted to sing Mozart arias which I always think is a brave choice for competitions. While there are many great staples of the repertoire in Mozart’s operas, the vocal writing is very exposed and there is nowhere for performers to hide. Aimee Kearney opened with ‘Batti, batti o bel Masetto’ from Don Giovanni. There was much to admire in this performance with its strong vocal projection, elegant and nicely shaped phrasing and long fluid legato lines. I wondered if there was scope for Kearney to achieve a more integrated sound across the vocal register. Clare Quinn opted for ‘Padre, Germani addio’ from Idomeneo. She was impressive bringing urgency, drama and vocal power to the performance. Quinn’s tone occasionally sounded a little forced at the top of the vocal register and her diction could have been a little clearer. Éadaoin Hassett performed Susanna’s aria ‘Deh Vieni, non Tardar’ from Le nozze di Figaro. This was a very mature and accomplished performance with beautiful phrasing and flowing mellifluous lines. I wondered if there was scope for her to project out to the audience a little more. The fourth and only male singer in the competition, Jacq Herbots, opted for ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ from L’elisir d’amore. This was an accomplished performance of one of the great operatic arias with lovely colour changes and moments of rapture. He seemed a little less secure at the bottom of the vocal register.
The four finalists were also asked to perform a series of duets. Clare Quinn and Éadaoin Hassett opened with ‘Mira o Norma’ from Bellini’s Norma. The duets in Norma are among the most difficult and vocally demanding in the bel canto repertoire. Both singers did well to give such a successful and vocally secure performance. Jacq Herbots and Aimee Kearney joined forces for ‘Tornami a dir che m’ami’ from Don Pasquale. Their voices blended beautifully, and they allowed the lyricism of Donizetti’s wonderful duet to shine through. Aimee Kearney and Clare Quinn combined for the lesser known ‘Non bastan quelle lagrime’ from Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghliterra. Once again, the two singers blended beautifully and Rossini’s ornaments were tastefully executed. Éadaoin Hassett and Jacq Herbots performed the last of the duets ‘I know a Youth’ from Ruddigore. Both performers brought a nice comic touch and clipped diction to this Gilbert & Sullivan number.
In the last section of the competition each of the four competitors were asked to perform an Irish song. Clare Quinn opened this section with ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by Philip Martin. She sang a cappella and gave a soulful, atmospheric performance. Aimee Kearney followed with Hamilton Harty’s ‘The Stranger’s Grave’. She captured the restless mood of the song to perfection, and the denouement was very moving. Jacq Herbots gave an equally moving performance of ‘Gortnamona’ by Philip Green. He responded well to the intense lyricism of the song and gave a very musical rendition. Éadaoin Hassett was the final competitor in this section. She gave an accomplished rhythmically vibrant performance of Philip Martin’s ‘The Fiddler of Dooney’.
The Jury – Professor Mark Wildman, Simon Lepper, Dr Ingrid Surgenor, chaired by the Vice Chair of Northern Ireland Opera Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle – awarded the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize to Éadaoin Hassett, the Song Prize to Jacq Herbots, The Kathryn Harries Audience Prize to Aimee Kearney and the Chair of the Jury Special Award to Clare Quinn. It was good to see the Jury acknowledging the talents of all four singers.
Robert Beattie
Opera Arias:
Mozart – ‘Batti, batti o bel Masetto’ from Don Giovanni
Donizetti – ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima’ from L’elisir d’amore
Mozart – ‘Padre, Germani addio’ from Idomeneo
Mozart – ‘Deh Vieni, non Tardar’ from Le nozze di Figaro
Opera Duets:
Bellini – ‘Mira o Norma’ from Norma
Donizetti – ‘Tornami a Dir Che M’ami’ from Don Pasquale
Rossini – ‘Non bastan quelle lagrime’ from Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghliterra
Gilbert & Sullivan – ‘I know a Youth’ from Ruddigore
Irish Song Selection:
Philip Martin – ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’
Hamilton Harty – ‘The Stranger’s Grave’
Philip Green – ‘Gortnamona’
Philip Martin – ‘The Fiddler of Dooney’
This Festival and competition is a huge credit to Northern Ireland Opera. Thanks to Dame Fionnuala for being such an outstanding champ of young Irish singers.