The Very Reverend, the Honorable Dr. Lois M Wilson, C.C., O.C. (Retd)

I received excellent choral training as a young girl in the elementary school system in Winnipeg. Every school had a choir, and we competed annually for “the Earl Grey Trophy,” a much-coveted award. My training meant learning to read music, sing alto, sing in an unaccompanied ensemble, and appreciate first-rate music. Additionally, my Grade 8 teacher played the class a gramophone recording of the opera “AIDA,” and I was astounded, never having heard anything so splendid before. And there were the operettas in high school. Consequently, I have had a lifelong love of choral music: to soothe me in the midst of a hectic schedule; to enjoy at live concerts or at home on CDs; to focus my sermon through hymnody; to have a group of theological students touring Africa with me join in some Canadian songs for our hosts; to enhance my own spirituality. It’s no coincidence!