Afternoon Recital: Charlotte Thomson (soprano) and Isabella Briggs (pianist)

About

We are delighted to welcome Isabella and Charlotte to the Fratry, as they join forces to entertain us. Both have been closely involved in the life of Carlisle Cathedral over the years, and it is an honour to have them return to perform together.

Isabella became part of Cathedral life at the age of sixteen, singing with the Cathedral Consort for three years, serving as a Deputy Lay Clerk, and studying organ with Edward Taylor.

Charlotte's association with the Cathedral began in 2013, when she joined the choir and was awarded a Choristership after only three months of training. Over the following decade, she held a number of roles including Senior Head Chorister, Junior Choral Scholar, and member of the Cathedral's Consort Choir. With the choir, she performed in many significant services, concerts, weddings, and broadcast appearances, and took part in an international tour to Latvia, performing to sold-out audiences. During her studies, she returned to Carlisle each summer to work in the Cathedral Café, where she continues to be part of the team today.

We are thrilled to welcome them both back to the Cathedral community and look forward to enjoying their performance

While entry to our concerts is complimentary, we encourage contributions during the collection at the end of each performance to support both the talented artists and the Cathedral. Your generosity will help us continue to bring such enriching events to the community. We look forward to seeing you there!

About the artists:

Isabella Briggs has recently concluded her studies at Junior RNCM, where she performed in concerts as a soloist, member of a piano quintet and as a choir member. She is now studying at the University of Manchester, with piano as her first study, remaining under Polish teacher Marta Karbownicka, after achieving a distinction in her LTCL diploma this summer. She has also taken lessons from great English pianists including Martin Roscoe and Kathryn Stott when attending the 2023 Chethams International Piano Summer School, and organ lessons at Carlisle Cathedral with Edward Taylor, and with Simon Mercer in Manchester.

Charlotte Thomson is a soprano from Cumbria and a recent graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where she earned a first-class music degree, specialising in Vocal Studies and Opera.

In 2024, Charlotte was awarded second prize in Cumbria's Young Musician of the Year and received the Bowman Scholarship at the Carlisle Music Festival as the most promising young singer. This summer, she joined the Cumbria Opera Group as a Young Artist, covering the role of the Governess in Britten's The Turn of the Screw, performing in opera scenes, and singing in the chorus of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

Earlier this year, Charlotte toured internationally with the German National Youth Orchestra (Bundesjugendorchester). Charlotte is passionate about contributing to the musical life of her home county and looks forward to continuing her development through postgraduate studies in the near future.