top of page

About Lorna

Adam Gorb's The Path to Heaven
“The work ... is framed by touching Hebraic laments from Esther (the mezzo Lorna Day)"
- Martin Dreyer, Opera Magazine
Lorna-140 1.jpg
Edward Robinson Photography

Lorna is a mezzo soprano recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Jane Irwin, 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.

Recent opera projects include performing in the chorus of Rusalka with Bergen National Opera and the chorus of Parsifal  with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir. She has also performed in the chorus for Orfeo ed Euridice with Longborough Festival Opera 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).

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. During the 23-24 season she looks forward to performing a series of recitals at Wye Valley Music, Wigan Music Society and Bury Parish Church Concert Series to celebrate the centenary of Madeleine Dring, with duo partner Olivia Dance.

Lorna is an experienced choral singer: she sings with Kantos Chamber Choir, Jervaulx Singers, 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 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. 

​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.

 

bottom of page