Biography

Rachel studied at University College Bretton Hall and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating with Masters Degrees in both Performance and Advanced Opera, and winning the prestigious ‘Ye Cronies’ Opera Award. Rachel went on to become a Company Principal Soprano at Scottish Opera where roles include: Freia, Helmwige and Third Norn in the Tim Albery production of The Ring Cycle, Fiordiligi (Cosí fan Tutte), Euridice (Gluck’s Orfeo), First and Second Lady (The Magic Flute), Mimi (La Bohème), Denise (Tippet’s The Knot Garden) and also for BBC Symphony Orchestra and at Cantiere d’arte, Montepulciano. Other roles include Anna in Maria Stuarda, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, and 4th Maid in Strauss’ Elektra with the EIF, under Ed Gardner (both EIF). Rachel has also worked with Opera North,  Welsh National Opera and English National Opera, singing roles such as Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) and the title role in Katya Kabanova, and premiered roles in David  Bruce’s Push ( Tete â Tete), Caregiver in The Lion’s Face, by Elena Langer, for The Opera  Group (Brighton Festival & Royal Opera House Covent Garden), a Showcase  Performance of Nicholas Andsell- Evans’ opera Carina for English National Opera. 

With an intense passion for music and singing as forms of therapy, Rachel has established a career in Singing for Health, alongside her singing and performing work, believing that music transcends all. She advocates helping everyone  to find their voice! She has trained and is working in Singing For Dementia (Common Wheel Glasgow and Luminate Scotland), Singing for Lung Health (Asthma and Lung UK, St Andrews Voices, and her own groups DAYR To Sing, Sing Your Song - Practise Good Breathing and Sing, and Singing For Lung Health Glasgow, Singing For Mental Health and Wellbeing (Platform through the Platform Singers) and Singing for Parkinson’s (Ayrshire Parkinson’s Community Singers, trained with Sing to Beat and Parkinson’s UK). Rachel is an Ambassador for the Singing for Health Network, accredited by Asthma and Lunk UK, and on the Steering Committee for Scotland’s Singing for Health Network. Rachel has written articles for Singing for Health Network and The Enormity of Now, presented to NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Ayrshire and Arran Respiratory teams, Spheres of Singing, as well as working with the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Staff choirs and Helensburgh Oratorio Choir in breath workshops. She appears on Podcasts with Scotland’s Singing for Health Network (series 1 Episodes 1 and 2), and Singing for Health Network (series 1 episode 3)