United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

On Culture Night – Friday 22 September – Music in Calary is delighted to welcome Catherine Redding (soprano) and Rachel Factor (harpsichord) who will carry us on a musical journey of late Renaissance & Baroque songs and arias from across Europe, featuring music by Handel, Scarlatti, Dowland, Bach and more.

The concert starts at 8pm in Calary Church (A98 H766) and free parking will be available opposite the church. As this is a Culture Night event, there will be no charge and no need for you to book tickets, just come along and enjoy a wonderful evening of music.

Music in Calary would like to thank Wicklow County Council for its support of this event.

Biographies:

Catherine Redding

Wicklow–based Canadian soprano Catherine Redding, described as ‘warm, clear and impeccably controlled’ (The Irish Times), has performed internationally in recital, oratorio and opera.  

As a recitalist, Catherine’s performances in Canada, Italy, Austria, England and Ireland have encompassed a repertoire of Baroque to contemporary works.

Oratorio/concert highlights include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Mass in B Minor, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Mondonville’s In Exitu Israel (conducted by Christophe Rousset), Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, and Fauré’s Requiem in venues such as St. Martin–in–the–Fields, London, the National Concert Hall, Dublin and Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Catherine’s operatic roles include Sandman/Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel) with Longborough Festival Opera, UK, Barbarina (The Marriage of Figaro) and Emmie (Albert Herring) with Opera Project, UK and Oscar (A Masked Ball) and Zerlina/Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Cork’s Opera 2005.

Catherine’s debut solo album Lullaby launched in 2015. She is delighted to have sung the solo soprano part in award–winning Canadian composer Christopher Tyler Nickel’s seven–disc Gospel According to Mark, which was released in April 2023.

Catherine was honoured to be the soloist for Ronan McDonagh’s Faith, hope and love at the 2018 Papal Mass in Phoenix Park. For more information, please visit www.catherineredding.com

Rachel Factor

Rachel Factor concertizes on harpsichord as a soloist and chamber artist. She has performed with many of Ireland’s leading ensembles at prestigious festivals throughout Ireland and has participated in concerts recorded for and broadcast by RTÉ lyric fm. 

Rachel has performed multiple times at The Handel–Hendrix House Museum in London. She has a keen interest in Irish Baroque music and contemporary music, of which she has premiered works by many emerging composers in Ireland, and has performed with Irish Composers’ Collective and Crash Ensemble. With the Irish and Baroque fusion group Sonamus Rachel has recorded a successful CD Music of Ireland. 

Rachel is also the harpsichord professor at The Conservatory of Music and Drama at TU Dublin and an examiner for the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Rachel co–directed the popular Alchemy Music Concert Series with Eamon Sweeney until 2019. Rachel’s initial studies were with Gillian Smith and later with Dr. David Adams. Rachel also received tutelage from Carole Cerasi, Laurence Cummings, Malcom Proud, and Christof Rousset. 

Rachel was the recipient of The Arts Council 2017 Artist Bursary Award and received two awards from the Music Network Music Capital Scheme. Rachel plays this evening on a Flemish single manual harpsichord built in 2011 by harpsichord maker Andrew Wooderson. She gratefully acknowledges the support of Music Network and The Arts Council through the Music Capital Scheme.