Francesca Massey - return to the 2023/2024 Season or Welcome

Programme

Thomas Hewitt Jones (b.1984) - Carnival
John Joubert (1872-1953) - Prelude on the ‘Old 100th’
William Byrd (1540-1623) - Fantasia in C
Percy Whitlock (1903-46) - Plymouth Suite
(Allegro Risoluto – Lantana – Chanty – Salix – Toccata)
Joseph Jongen (1872-1953) - Pensée d'automne
Joseph Jongen (1872-1953) - Scherzetto
Iain Farrington (b.1977) - Animal Parade


Biography

Francesca Massey has recently embarked upon an active career as a freelance organist, choral conductor and teacher, having worked as a cathedral musician for 20 years.  Born in Birmingham in 1982, Francesca was educated at Cambridge University and the Royal Northern College of Music (on a prestigious ABRSM Scholarship), holding Organ Scholarships at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and Manchester Cathedral.  She later became Assistant Organist at Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge, Assistant Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral, Sub-Organist at Durham Cathedral and Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral.
At the age of 19, Francesca gained all of the top prizes in the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists’ diploma and was subsequently awarded the WT Best Memorial Scholarship and Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and the Musicians Benevolent Fund’s Ian Fleming Award.  Her teachers included Kevin Bowyer, Jeremy Filsell, David Goode and Andrew Fletcher.
Francesca performs regularly as a recitalist throughout the UK and abroad.  She has three solo recordings to her name (Bravura!, The Forgotten Gem, and The complete works of Maurice Duruflé) which all received excellent reviews and were Editor’s Choice in Organists’ Review.  A fourth solo CD, recorded on the organ at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, will be released on the Priory Records label this year. Francesca has performed widely as an accompanist (in which capacity she works regularly with the BBC Singers), as well as recording a number of acclaimed CDs with various choirs; Gramophone Magazine describing her as a ‘hugely gifted accompanist.’  Francesca has also worked extensively as a choral conductor, organ teacher, continuo player, pianist and singer.  
More information and details of future performances can be found at www.francesca-massey.org