Louise Kirkby Lunn

Louise Kirkby Lunn (8 November 1873 – 17 February 1930) was an English contralto. Sometimes classified as a mezzo-soprano, she was a leading English-born singer of the first two decades of the 20th century, earning praise for her performances in concert, oratorio and opera.

Kirkby Lunn (pronounced Kirby Lunn) had her early vocal training in her native city of Manchester, at All Saints Church. She sang there in the choir under Dr J. H. Greenwood, the church's organist, and later appeared at concerts in the city. In 1890, she obtained a place at the Royal College of Music in London and studied for three years with Albert Visetti, also training for opera. Winning a scholarship in her second year, she took the role of Margaret in Schumann's Genoveva in a College production at Drury Lane in December 1893, and then as the Marquise de Montcontour in Delibes' Le roi l'a dit at the Prince of Wales Theatre a year later. She also studied for some time with Jacques Bouhy in Paris.

In 1895, she appeared in the first season of Promenade concerts for Henry J. Wood. Augustus Harris gave her a five-year contract almost upon first hearing. In 1896 she appeared as Nora in Stanford's Shamus O'Brien at the Theatre Comique, again under Wood, with Joseph O'Mara, Maggie Davies, W.H. Stevens and Denis O'Sullivan, a production which ran for 100 nights from 2 March.

This was followed by a number of small roles at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. However, the Covent Garden contract expired with Harris's death in June 1896, whereupon she joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company, performing as principal mezzo-soprano in London and on tour in the provinces in Carmen, Mignon, Lohengrin, Rigoletto and other works. In 1898, at Queen's Hall in London, she sang as a Rhinemaiden in excerpts from Das Rheingold with Lillian Blauvelt and Helen Jaxon, with David Bispham appearing as Alberich. She remained with the Carl Rosa until 1899, the year in which she married W. J. Pearson.