Guest Soloists and Community Stage Line Up Announced

Guest Soloists and Community Stage Line Up Announced

This Blog Post is drawn from our recent subscriber email newsletter.


Hello Music Lovers!

We are thrilled to announce our guest soprano and tenor for 2025 are couple of real rising stars in the opera and classical world. These singers have voices that are well ahead of their time and will no doubt be big names in the coming decades! We are so lucky to bring them to you for the York Proms this year.

Alongside that, we have announced our most ambitious community stage ever, with over 200 performers set to be involved this year. Starting at 5.30pm, as people are filtering into the gardens and the keenest Fast Track audience members are beginning their picnics, and continuing on until the National Anthem kicks off the evening show, the community stage will showcase some of the best local ensemble talent!

Also, don't forget that picnics are now available to order online. Our caterers and menus will be announced next week along with our musical programme highlights!

Read on for more!

Guest Soloists

Soprano Soloist - Lucy Farrimond
 
British lyric soprano Lucy Farrimond has captivated audiences at prestigious venues across the UK and internationally, including the Royal Albert Hall, The Bridgewater Hall, Snape Maltings, The Stoller Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Paris. Featured on BBC, ITV, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 3, she has been recognised as a "rising star soprano”.  

At just 21, Lucy made her BBC Proms solo debut in 2019, performing Haydn's The Creation at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - an acclaimed performance that earned praise in The Guardian.  Originally from the North West of England, she is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied under the esteemed soprano Jane Irwin.
 
Lucy has toured extensively across the UK and Europe, performing at renowned festivals and venues. Find out more about Lucy on her website lucyfarrimondmusic.co.uk
 
Tenor Soloist - Oscar Bowen-Hill
 
Oscar is a passionate Tenor who has spent the last four years completing his BSc in Cognitive Science and singing with the London Philharmonic Choir, the Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, as well as with the Rodolfus Choir. Having graduated with 1st Class honours, Oscar is excited to be embarking on the next steps of his singing career with scholarships at St Paul’s Knightsbridge as well as with the Oxford Bach Soloists, while also finding time to indulge his enthusiasm for being outdoors.
 
Highlights include being awarded a place in the 2023 Glyndebourne Academy, joining the Royal Academy of Music’s 2023 Chamber Choir tour to Neresheim, Germany, and also singing in the London Philharmonic Semi-Chorus for a 2022 BBC Proms performance of Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’. Find out more about Oscar on his Oxford Bach Soloists page.

Community stage 2025


We always try to include as many local performers as possible on our community stage, to give people an experience of being on a professional stage in front of a big audience!

This year is no different, and it's going to be our biggest yet.
 

York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir

To headline the community stage, and to lead the National Anthem at the start of the evening show, we have the beloved York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir. They have been very busy celebrating their centenary year! Find out more on their website.
Lucy's Pop Choir

Lucy's Pop Choir have been with us since the very beginning and always provide great entertainment, often both at the queues as people are coming in and also with a stint on stage! Look our for some 'banging' tunes from this energetic and fun choir. Find out more on their website.
 
Rock Choir, with Kate Peters

Another act making their debut at the York Proms is Rock Choir, York run by Kate Peters. Another fun and friendly choir, as part of the nationwide network of Rock Choirs and with all the high profile events they get to perform at, this is a choir we're sure will get the audience tapping their toes and singing along to some great songs everyone will know. Find out more on their website.
 
Katie Ventress School of Dance

Making their debut at the York Proms is the Katie Ventree School of Dance, showcasing some of this year's dance pieces her class has been working on, including children of all ages. They will be on first, to open the community stage, so the fast track ticket holders will be treated to these delightful performers. Visit the website for more information
Bride Shanty Crew

Bridge Shanty Crew are performing for the first time, too, and bringing a fun and traditional performance the audience are sure to love. They are a group of 'landlocked shantymen' based in Stamford Bridge - Stamford's only buoy band! They sing for fun and to raise money for local charities. Find out more on their Facebook page.
 
York Musical Theatre Company

After their successful run performing Sister Act in York, the York Musical Theatre Company is coming together to reprise some of the favourite parts of the show for the York Proms audience. Performing at the York Prom for the first time, we've been told they are very excited to become nuns again while overlooked by St Mary's Abbey! Find out more on their website.
 
The Joe Allen Little Big Band! - Main show

As part of the main show, while the orchestra takes a short break, we are excited to welcome the Joe Allen Little Big Band with some fabulous tunes, including a couple as a nod to the 80th anniversary of VE Day - like We'll Meet Again. The line up is an eight piece 'big band' style swing band of local players with bags of energy.
 

Picnics by No1 by GuestHouse 


We announced a little while ago that Luxury Afternoon Tea picnics are now online to be ordered for collection on the day. 

They include:
  • Savoury finger sandwiches: York ham witheritage tomato & English mustard, Severn & Wye smoked salmon with cucumber, lemon & cream cheese, black truffle egg mayonnaise and Black Cow Cheddar & spring onion
  • Sausage roll slice
  • Scones with clotted cream and preserve
  • Delectable selection of cakes
  • Soft drink
Picnic boxes are £28 per person and will be available to collect on the day ahead of the main show.

Please note, picnic boxes are booked directly with the hotel, so if you have any problems or questions please contact them directly on 01904 644 744.
Photo for illustration purposes only - items may differ, see details below.
Order Picnic Box
Event Day Catering

We will be announcing the on site caterers next week, along with some musical programme highlights, so keep your eyes peeled for the update. We can't wait to throw open the gates and welcome you into the gardens for the seventh York Proms picnic concert!

Have a lovely weekend!

Warm regards

Rebecca and the York Proms team.
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