Lorna Day

Lorna is a mezzo soprano recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Jane Irwin, where she graduated with a first class BMus (hons) degree and a MMus with Distinction. Her studies were generously supported by the Alice Orrell and A&N Kendall Award, Headley Trust, Help Musicians UK Postgraduate Award, Mario Lanza Educational Foundation and the Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust. Whilst at the RNCM she won the RNCM Elsie Thurston Prize, was a finalist in the Kennedy Strauss Award and was highly commended in the Frost/Brownson Song Cycle Competition. She also participated in masterclasses with Dame Ann Murray, Julius Drake and Ian Partridge CBE.

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Lorna's operatic roles at the RNCM include Woodpecker The Cunning Little Vixen, Suora infermiera Suor Angelica, EstherThe Path to Heaven (world premiere), Third Boy and Third Lady Die Zauberflöte (scenes), Kate Owen Wingrave (scenes), Louise La Vie Parisienne (scenes) and Shining One The Pilgrim's Progress (cover). Professionally, she has performed with Longborough Festival Opera Chorus in Orfeo ed Euridice, Bergen National Opera Chorus for Rusalka and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir in their production of Parsifal. 

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Lorna is a keen singer on the concert platform: recent solo highlights include Elgar The Music Makers with Stafford Choral Society, Mozart Requiem with Furness Bach Choir,  Dvořák Stabat Mater with Heswall Choral Society and Rossini Petite messe sollenelle with Chipping Norton Choral Society. She has performed in the Composer’s Forum at Leeds Lieder Festival; given a recital of Norwegian song in the Rekstensamlingene in Bergen; and performed a recital of English song at the English Music Festival. She looks forward to presenting a recital to celebrate the centenary of Madeleine Dring in June 2023 with pianist Olivia Dance.

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Lorna is an experienced choral singer: she sings with Kantos Chamber Choir and is a regular guest singer with the Edvard Grieg Kor in Norway - with recent projects conducted by Edward Gardner and Sir Mark Elder. She was a member of the BBC Radio 4 daily service singers, and has had various Lay Clerk work around Manchester. She sang at the BBC Proms 2019 with the Britten Sinfonia Chorus, and will sing with the Edvard Grieg Kor, conducted by Edward Gardner, at the BBC Proms 2023. Lorna is an alumnus of the Genesis Sixteen programme, run by Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan. 

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​In her spare time, Lorna enjoys bouldering, making and decorating cakes and playing the flute.  Lorna was principal flute in the Hallé Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Great Britain before commencing her vocal studies at the RNCM. Lorna currently teaches singing and flute at the Cheshire School of Music.

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