Lorna Maclachlan Composer/arranger/pianist/educator
2022 has been an amazing year for Lorna in all her endeavours. As the pandemic passes (or as we learn to live with it) and opportunities open up, performances have become more frequent and reconnecting with the music community has renewed inspiration. This has been a quiet time for reflecting and getting “pencil to paper”. to top this off, Lorna spent two weeks in Portugal studying with one of Canada’s finest composers/arrangers; David Braid. This has certainly inspired her as she works on a commission from the University of Calgary writing and arranging two pieces for the UniversityJazz Band.
“Anything you do in any direction inspires and informs the work you do. Writing for larger ensembles is so challenging but it makes me appreciate flexibility and spaciousness. We are so good at filling up space and time in our lives. Writing reminds me that I need time to breath and absorb what is going on around me; are all my actions/notes essential?”
Lorna has been writing, arranging, and performing her own music for over 3 decades. “I’ve always written, it is my instrument”, explains the composer. She pursued composition and studied at the University of Calgary with Gregory Levin, Marilyn Engel and Allen Bell, to name a few but in her last year of her graduate degree she became very interested in combining the structure of “Art music” and Electronic music with the freedom of improvisation. Since graduating she has studied with Canadian composer and pianists: David Braid, Don Thompson, Phil Dwyer, Hugh Fraser and Maria Schneider.
After completing a graduate degree in Composition and theory she embarked on a career as a composer providing award winning original music for Theatre, Dance and National media companies (CBC, Access Network) as well as a variety of commercial and artistic enterprises across the spectrum of music genres. She has recorded six full length albums of original music and has had support from FACTOR, the Alberta Foundation for the performing arts as well as the Canada Council. She continues to work on commissioned pieces for various groups but much of her focus today is writing for her quintet a group that has been performing together for over 25 years.
Lorna has always been passionate about music education and believes strongly in helping to develop the talents of the next generation. She has recently retired from public teaching where she was recognized nationally for her dedication to excellence in music education specifically in Choral music, vocal and instrumental and Jazz.
Richard Harding Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
Richard has performed and recorded with many outstanding groups such as the Jens Lindemann Big Band, Calgary Jazz Orchestra (CJO), Prime Time Big Band, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), Lorna MacLachlan Quintet, Soul Providers, Penguins on Broadway, TR3, Tim Tamashiro Orchestra and his own jazz quartet. His most recent show experience includes Billie Elliot at Theatre Calgary, The Roy Orbison Hologram Tour, La La Land, Rhapsody In Blue, An American In Paris, Let’s Dance and Sinatra and Beyond with the CPO and Dancers In Love with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. Richard’s soulful playing can be found on his most recent recordings: Then is Now – Jens Lindemann, Live at the Ironwood – Prime Time Big Band, When It’s Christmas Time – CJO and Bicycle Riding in the Dark – Lorna MacLachlan.
Jon Day Trumpet
Jon Day is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, musical director, and educator. Over a career spanning 30 years, Jon has the privilege of sharing the stage with an extensive list of international and local artists including; Alex Acuna, Howard McCrary, Oscar Cartaya, Sean Jones, Hugh Fraser, Ross Taggart, P.J. Perry, Jamey Aebersold, David Braid, Jann Arden, Elizabeth Shepherd, Judy Niemack, Jack Semple, Doug Riley, Clarence Clemens and the “Temple of Soul”, among others.
After nearly 12 years of full-time church music/arts ministry in Canada and abroad, Jon returned “home” to Calgary in 2012 where he joined the music performance faculties at Mount Royal University and Rocky Mountain College. Jon now works as a sought-after freelance performer, recording artist, songwriter, orchestrator, and educator.
