Continuo Connect — Profile // Matthew Farrell

Having trained as a chorister and young songman at Leicester Cathedral, Matthew is currently singing as a Layclerk at Westminster Cathedral. When he was studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he sang with the Llandaff Cathedral Choir, as well as being a regular deputy with the Cathedral choirs of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester.

Since moving to London, Matthew has performed with many ensembles including Vox Medicea, The OAE, La Nuova Musica, The Gabrielli Consort, the choirs of Southwark and St Paul’s Cathedrals, and Westminster Abbey. His extensive knowledge and experience in consort singing has also resulted in him performing with smaller ensembles such as the Siglo de Oro, the Binchois Consort, the Swan Consort and Opus Anglicanum.

Matthew is also a sought-after soloist, having performed the solos for Handel’s Messiah, Bach Passions, Purcell cantatas as well as contemporary music such as the Adonai from Bernstein’s ‘Chichester Psalms’.Although he is yet to take part in a fully staged opera, he played the part of ‘Thomas Ledbury’ in Jasper Dommett’s opera adaption of Coram Boy (based on the play by Helen Edmundson), which premiered as a part of the RWCMD Atmospheres Festival of New Music in May 2021.

As well as being a singer, Matthew trained on the double bass at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, under Mary Condliffe, Tyler Shepherd and David Stark. He also studied the Viola da Gamba under Dr. Lucy Robinson. During his time there, he played in ensembles of all styles from baroque to jazz.

During his studies, Matthew enjoyed chamber music more than larger ensembles, and this helped him to perform in multiple opera and musical theatre pits, early music ensembles and jazz groups. He also worked a lot as a professional musical theatre bassist during his time at music college, including being the bassist for the Welsh professional premiere of ‘The Last 5 Years’ by Jason Robert Brown.