Programme

Girolamo Frescobaldi

Toccata Prima

Domenico Gabrielli (1651-1690)

7th Ricercar

Giacomo Antonio Perti (1661-1756)

Lectio II in Parasceve

Giuseppe Maria Jachini (1667-1727)

Sonata VIII

Domenico Gabrielli (1651-1690)

Sonata à Violoncello solo, con il Basso Continuo

Maurizio Cazzati (1616-1678)

Accurrite Caelites della Beata Vergine

Thomas Charles Marshall - organ

Thomas Charles Marshall is originally from County Westmeath. He began his musical education at St Finian’s College, Mullingar, where he studied under Shane Brennan as a member of the Schola Cantorum. He later served as organ scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, studying with the distinguished organist Peter Hurford.

From 1994 to 2008, Thomas lived in Japan, where he conducted in-depth research into traditional Japanese music and became a master of the Satsumabiwa — a historical lute associated with the samurai. Upon returning to Ireland, he completed a Master’s in Music Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, studying with David Adams.

Thomas is currently Organist and Director of Music at St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, and also serves as Director of Music at St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare. He is the Artistic Director of TISOS, the Tullamore International Summer Organ Series, curates the St Ann's Church Lunchtime Recitals as well as the Kildare Organ and Choral Festival.

He is active as a recitalist throughout Ireland, performing regularly at events such as the Dún Laoghaire Organ Concert Series and the Tullamore International Summer Organ Series. Recent collaborations include performances with violinist Bogdan Şofei, leader of the ConTempo Quartet. His international appearances have included engagements in Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

In addition to his work as an organist, Thomas maintains an active performance career with the Satsumabiwa. In October and November 2025, he will tour Japan with Irish harpist Tríona Marshall, presenting a unique programme that bridges Japanese and Irish musical traditions.

Norah Catherine O'Leary - Baroque Cello

Norah Catherine O'Leary is an Irish cellist and viol player specialising in period instrument performance. She holds a first-class Master’s degree in Performance of Early Music from the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, where she studied under Louna Hosia and Markku Luolajan-Mikkola. During her studies, she also participated in mentoring projects with the Nordic Baroque Orchestra and Concerto Copenhagen.

Norah has since performed and recorded with several distinguished ensembles, including London Early Opera and Signum Records, featuring in their 2019 release Handel’s Queens. She has also regularly performed with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Camerata Kilkenny, Sestina Music, Cork Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Scania Barock, and Ensemble OrQuestra, collaborating with renowned soloists and conductors such as Bridget Cunningham, Peter Spissky, Peter Whelan, Dame Emma Kirkby, Mark Chambers, Laurence Cummings, and Lars Ulrik Mortensen.

As a founding member of Ensemble Dagda, Norah has performed at prestigious festivals, including the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, East Cork Early Music Festival, Sligo Festival of Baroque Music, and the Encanto Festival in Helsinki. In recent months, Norah co-founded The Earls of Ormond alongside Laoise O'Brien, Siobhan Armstrong, Malcolm Proud, Caoimhe de Paor, and Sarah Groser. This ensemble, Ireland's newest Renaissance group, focuses on performing historically relevant music in historical venues across the country. Norah is passionate about music education and currently enjoys teaching at the County Wexford School of Music.

Francesco Giusti - Countertenor

Born in Bologna, Italy, after studies of pianoforte, organ, composition and musicology Francesco started singing as a countertenor and has performed in many concerts in Europe, Japan and the USA. After a London Guildhall School singing BMus he studied at HMT Leipzig and Amsterdam Conservatorium, where he obtained a MMus.

He moved to Ireland in 2017. He was a member of NIO studio in Belfast for the 2018/19 season and of the Irish National Opera ABL Studio for the 2021/22 season, during which he covered Tamerlano’s role in Vivaldi’s Bajazet, with IBO conducted by Peter Whelan, which saw his London ROH debut.

Oratorio and opera roles include Ottone in Handel's Agrippina and The Cheshire Cat in Will Todd's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as well as title roles in Scarlatti/Martini’s “La Dirindina”, Greg Caffrey’s “Pamplemousse”, Handel’s Messiah and “Fernando, Re di Castiglia”, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio and B minor Mass.