Encouraged by the success of last year's reception, when she returned to the local concert stage as the soloist in Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' with the Bermuda Philharmonic and was warmly received, mezzo-soprano Jane Farge is now looking forward to her first solo recital at City Hall on September 8.

"It is exciting because I have not done a full-length recital with piano accompaniment since I left London in 1985," she says.

Mrs. Farge's programme will consist of German lieder, Baroque music and excerpts from popular operas, so chosen because they are her favourites, and works she particularly enjoys singing.

The first half of her performance will include works by Handel, Mozart and Schumann, while the second will include excerpts from operas, including 'Dido and Aeneas' by Purcell, 'Vanessa' by Barber, 'La Gioconda' by Ponchielli, 'Samson and Delilah' by Saint-Sans, and 'Don Carlos' by Verdi.

Of 'O don fatale,' a major aria in the latter, Mrs. Farge says: "It is very demanding, and has a big range," and because of that she finds it an exciting challenge.

While the recital will mark an important landmark in her career, the singer also sees it as part of an interesting future.

"I have been invited to perform with the Westshore Symphony Orchestra in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in November, and next year I plan to participate in voice auditions, also abroad," she says.

A prize-winning graduate of the Royal School of Music, Mrs. Farge is a private piano teacher who also plays at the Pink Beach Club several nights a week, and on Sundays at Peace Lutheran Church. For the past two years she has continued her professional development under the guidance of Dr. Gary Burgess, and expresses delight with the enhancement of her already rich voice, which she feels is now brighter and more flexible.

"I am enjoying my singing," she says. "Dr. Burgess is a very fine teacher who is a pleasure to work with, and I have really enjoyed preparing for this programme."

The Essex-born singer is no stranger to the local concert stage, having appeared with the Saltus Concert Society, the Bermuda Philharmonic Society, the Geoffrey Tankard Foundation, and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, among others.

Of her future plans Mrs. Farge says: "I am enjoying working towards the other projects. It is nice to have goals, and to feel that you are really getting somewhere. I am always motivated, and once I put my heart and soul into something I like to do it to the best of my capabilities. I think everybody is like that."

Jane Farge's recital will take place at City Hall on September 8, beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets ($20) are available from The Harbour Master and the Cultural Affairs office (tel. 292-9447). All proceeds will be donated to Peace Lutheran Church. For further information 292-9447.