Biographies of the soloist include…
Soprano: Imogen Creedy
Alto: Emily Harrison
Tenor: Ryland Angel
Bass: Jonty Ward
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Imogen is a soprano based in York. She graduated from the University of York with a Masters in Vocal Studies with Distinction and continues to be mentored by Susan Young as she develops her professional portfolio as a soprano soloist, choral singer and a singing teacher.
She received a BMus Performance (Hons) degree from the University of Leeds in 2019 and successfully gained a position to study with Agnès Mellon at the École Supérieure de Musique Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in Dijon, France.
As an alumna of both Genesis Sixteen and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, where she was the soprano section leader, she has performed and recorded extensively across the UK and abroad. Imogen has also featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and recorded for the BBC Proms Young Composers scheme in partnership with BBC’s Created out of Mind project, studying the link between dementia and the arts.
Imogen has also worked with In Harmony North-East helping to provide Music Education in primary schools in the west end of Newcastle and now works at the University of York as the Music Performance Co-ordinator.
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Emily Harrison moved to York in 2023 and holds the position of Alto Vicar Choral in York Minster Choir. Additionally, she works as the Music Administrator for Bootham School.
Emily has held positions in Bristol as an Alto Lay Clerk, and was a scholar at Exeter in the Cathedral Choir. Having grown up in Scotland, she was a member of NYCoS, Scottish Opera Connect and both Edinburgh and Aberdeen University Chamber Choirs, performing at the BBC Proms, touring America, and in various cities across Europe.
Emily obtained her Bachelor of Music from Edinburgh Napier University. Throughout her singing career she has been involved in opera productions such as the title role in Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, The Judgement of Paris – John Eccles, and Jake Heggie’s contemporary work To Hell and Back.
Alongside other choirs, she has been fortunate enough to sing with Carice Singers, Jervaulx Singers, The Early Music Collective, echo choir, Edington Festival Consort, The Fitzhardinge Consort and is an alumnus of the Genesis Sixteen programme.
Most recently, Emily has been involved in the filming and singing of Alan Bennett’s new feature film ‘The Choral’.
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Born on St Cecilia’s day, the Grammy-nominated British vocalist Ryland Angel has built an international reputation on both the opera and concert stage, in repertoire ranging from the Baroque to new operatic commissions at major opera houses, concert halls and festivals throughout Europe and the USA.
He has performed in Monteverdi’s Orfeo, Gavin Bryars’s Doctor Ox’s Experiment (English National Opera), Fairy Queen (Barcelona), Gluck’s Orfeo (Koblenz), Amadigi (Karlsruhe), Venus and Adonis (Flanders Opera), Dido and Aeneas (Opera Comique), The Play of Daniel (Spoleto), and Ballet Comique de La Royne (Geneva).
Angel has sung on over 80 recordings including music of Buxtehude, Charpentier, Scarlatti, Stradella, Spears, O’Regan, Handel, Monteverdi, Purcell, Bach, and on the film soundtracks of Jack Reacher, Zoolander 2, Freedom, Le Petit Prince, La Peau, Henry 4th, Machete, The Mystery of Dante, Gemini Man and the PBS TV special Heavenly Voices.
Recent engagements include Doux Mensonges (Opera National de Paris), Agrippina (NYCO), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Florentine and Kansas Opera), Julius Caesar (Utah and Colorado Opera), Sant Alessio with William Christie (Paris, London, New York), Carmina Burana (Lincoln Center/Prague Proms), St. John Passion (Saint Thomas Church and Mechanics Hall), Classics and Rock (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra) and Messiah (Boston Symphony Hall & Carnegie Hall).
Recent and upcoming recordings include The Flaming Fire (MSR), Heart and Soul (Centaur) and Now Fatal Change (NMC), La Sposa (Solo Luminus), Le Nozze in Baviera (Naxos), Archivo de Guatemala (Naxos), Chant Electronique (Chesky), Justinian Intonations (Neuma), Bleed for the throne (SXSW) and a recital at the National Gallery with Parthenia Viol consort.
Recent creations include Tesla, Fantini Futuro, The Call, Including Words and The Chant Project.
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Jonty Ward is a British bass-baritone, director, and organist based in York. He currently holds the position of Bass Vicar Choral at York Minster having taken up the position in September 2020. Jonty is an alumnus of the Genesis Sixteen programme and held the Ex Cathedra graduate scholarship from 2020 until mid-2022.
As a soloist Jonty enjoys singing regularly with ensembles across Yorkshire and the surrounding area from Liverpool to Whitby, including works from Bach to Poulenc and everything in between! As a choral singer Jonty is increasingly in demand across the country and internationally. To date he has performed with artists including: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Tenebrae Choir, Monteverdi Choir, Ex Cathedra, Liverpool Bach Collective, Ex Corde Ensemble, I Fagiolini, Instruments of Time and Truth, The Lerion Consort, and others.
Alongside his work as a singer, Jonty is Director of Music at St Lawrence Parish Church, York, Operations & Project Delivery manager at York Music Hub and manages the White Rose Consort, a professional vocal ensemble based in York.