Tuesday 4 February 2014

AWARD WINNING CHOIR

 
St Patrick's Glee Club, April 1973
Were you a member of this award winning choir?  If so, I am in urgent need of your help.   The good folks at Presentation Archives inform me that this picture was taken at CBC Studios and the date on the photo is April 1973.  They are anxious to identify the students in this photo. The Pianist is Miss Eleanor Lawton, the Choir Director is Sr Mary Brendan Lynch and the Principal is Sr Mary Luke Parsley.  This Glee Club was a very talented one &, through its excellence, won a trip to Ottawa. 
 
We would be very grateful if you would help us out with the names of the girls. 
 
Also, do you have, or do you know of anyone who has, a recording of when you sang in any concerts, choirs, glee clubs, etc?   Our friends at Presentation Archives are gathering up any musical recordings or videos and digitizing them. So, if you have any recordings or videos of your choirs, they would be very grateful if they could borrow them.  
 
Please contact us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com if you can help us to identify the girls or lend us your recordings or videos.  We will be forever grateful!
 
Just so you can see everyone more clearly, I have divided the photo into three sections.  I hope it will help you identify the students.

 

 










33 comments:

  1. Sheila Handrigan4 February 2014 at 12:50

    The girl in the top on the end with the short hair is Catherine Handrigan and just below her is Jacuinta Mackey. Catherine is now an opera singer in Keil Germany and is married to Ansgar Kruck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheila Handrigan4 February 2014 at 12:52

    Also Sister Brendan is currently living in the Avondale Convent...she would know the names of mos to of these girls. In the middle section, second row up the girl with the long hair is Karen Mugford

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i know the girls I am one of them. First row ann and moya moakler , tina smith juanita power michelle burke. Next row ? heather baird, cathy walsh, sabrina costello,mary elizabeth walsh. Next row ? ? ? Karen baird , tina hibbs,glenda murphy, jacinta mackey

      Delete
    2. I AM ONE OF THE AS WELL.FAR LEFT 3RD ON THE TOP ROE.HELEN MALLARD CAMPBELL.JANICE BAIRD IS ALMOST JUST BELOW ME.THE TRIP TO Ottawa was Fantastic.

      Delete
    3. Hello Helen
      Thanks for the information. It seems to me that ALL the Mallards are very talented musically. I lived a few doors away from the McKay Street Mallards & I still remember the music drifting across on warm summer nights. Lovely!

      Delete
    4. Hello Helen
      Thanks for the information. It seems to me that ALL the Mallards are very talented musically. I lived a few doors away from the McKay Street Mallards & I still remember the music drifting across on warm summer nights. Lovely!

      Delete
    5. I am one of the girls. Middle section first row. If facing the picture I am the second girl from Sister Luke. Madonna Taylor

      Delete
  3. Hi Sheila
    Thank you very much for takin the time to leave a comment. It is a very interesting piece of information. Anything else that you can tell us about the choir would be greatly appreciated. You can email me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com or, of course, or leave it in the comments box as you have done here. Either way, I am very grateful to you. Is Catherine Handrigan your sister? It would be just wonderful to hear from her as well. Thanks & God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi I think that in the first picture I am the second girl in the second row with my hair tied back in a pony tail my name is Karen Connors
      wow I was also one of the girls that went to Ottawa. If I remember right we also done an album because we had pictures took at Signal Hill for the album cover. Thank you so much for posting this and I look forward to reading more comments and looking at more pictures.

      Delete
    2. Hi Karen
      It is nice to hear from you. Thanks for your help. I assure you, it is greatly appreciated. If you have any photos, stories, etc, of your trip to Ottawa, I would love to post them on the school blog. Actually, if you have ANY pictures, stories, etc, from your days at St Patrick's, we would be delighted to share them too. Thanks Karen & keep in touch.

      Delete
  4. First picture,top row,second to left is me,Connie Fisher.I am currently retired and living in Goulds,St. John's,NL.So great to see all these beautiful faces.I'm sure that you would be able to recognize all of these girls if you had grade 11 year book from Holy Heart.I do remember faces but not the names.Too many years have past.I wish that we could all come together as a group again and sing one of our songs.Wouldn't that be a dream.I would also love to see Sister Brendan again.I dearly loved her.I will continue to look at the picture and test my memory of names.Stay tuned.Thanks for the memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Connie
      What a wonderful idea! Why don't you & some of the girls get together & do just that - sing one or more of your songs? I think that Sr Mary Brendan would probably love that also. Why don't you give it a try. I think some of the othr girls in the choir would agree to a musical reunion. Keep me informed about that & I would be more than delighted to post about it both here & on the school fb page to help spread the word for you.

      Anyway, thanks for your help with the names for this picture & I will, as you said "stay tuned" to hear from you again. I look forward to it. Many thanks!

      Delete
    2. Oh Connie you looked so sweet. The girl on the end next to you is my sister Janet O'Brien. Small world.

      Delete
  5. I know many of the girls in this choir!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pam Rumboldt (nee Wade)4 February 2014 at 22:46

      Hi, first picture
      4th row left to right #1 is Janet Handrigan, #3 is Cean Evans, #4 Barbara Peddle
      3rd row left to right #1 Linda Fitzpatrick
      2nd row left to right #1 Diane Walker, #4 Karen Gough
      1st row left to right #2 Lynn Barron, #4 Pamela Tilley, #6 Geraldine Murphy
      Middle group:
      3rd row left to right #2 ? Evans
      2nd row left to right #2 Margo Walsh
      1st Row left to right #3 Valerie Bhnish, #8 Patrice Power

      Delete
    2. Pam Rumboldt (nee Wade)4 February 2014 at 22:54

      Pam Rumboldt (nee Wade)
      last picture left to right
      Row 1 #2 Juanita ?, #3 Sheila Smith, #4 & #5 Ann & Moya Moakler, #6 Bernadine Simmons

      Delete
    3. Hi Pam
      Wow, this is very helpful. Thank you so very, very much! I really appreciate your hellp with this. If you can tell us anything else about the choir, we would be delighted to hear it & perhaps use it in another post about this extremely talented group. Thanks again & please keep in touch.

      Delete
  6. Denise Fisher Stamp
    Even though I sang with the choir from the beginning was never fortunate enough to get a trip....lol....some of the girl I think I remember may be
    starting on the left, bottom row, blonde Connie Walsh? Middle group second one on the bottom left blonde pig tails Cathy Murphy. On the right middle pic third row don't know the first girl but then you have Cathy Fitzpatrick, Cathy Turner?, Janice Baird. Hope this is helpful and in the meantime my mother (90) used to tape the choir when she could. I don't know if she still has the tapes or what kind of shape they are in but I will do come digging....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Denise
      Thanks for getting in touch. It would be absolutely wonderful if your dear Mother still has those tapes. If she does still have them, do you think she would be willing to lend them to the folks at Presentation Archives? They are trying to gather together any existing recordings, videos, etc, of the choir or concerts. They plan to digitize them in order to preserve them for posterity. They would return them to you of course as they only want to borrow them. If your Mom is willing to lend them, would you please email me on mcallistersmith & I will give you a contact number for Preentation Archives. Thank you so very much Denise. Take care.

      Delete
    2. Well Denise, that wasn't very bright of me! You can't email me if I only give you half an address. Sorry! You can email me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com & I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again.

      Delete
  7. I have this picture at home, brings back a lot of good and happy memories. I am in the middle photo first row to the right of Ms.Lawton. There is Valerie Bhanis, me Cathy Murphy and the Judy Shano, also recognize some of the girls - Bonnie and Cindy Johnson, Karen Mugford, Mary Harris, Cathy Walsh, Linda Connolly, Heather Baird, Diane and Cathy Walker, etc. Every now and then I look at this picture and remissness about the time I spent at St. Patrick's and as member of the Choir.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What an honor it was to sing in this choir. I travelled to Ottawa with the group as well. I am in the far left group of girls in the picture. Second row, third girl in with pigtails. My name is Karen Doherty. Ironically only just last week was I dusting out our stereo stand and came across the Celebration Album. I put it on the turntable and listened. It brought back so many wonderful memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Karen
      Thanks for getting in touch. Would you be willing to let the people at Presentation Archives borrow your record & any recordings you might have of the choir or concerts? They are trying to gather together any recordings, tapes, videos, etc, of choirs & concerts & they hope to digitize them in order to preserve them for posterity, It would be really helpful if they could borrow your record & it will be in good hands. They will take good care of it. If you are willing to lend it to them, please email me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com & I will give you a contact phone number. Thanks a million.

      Delete
    2. I would be happy to. I will email you!

      Delete
  9. Hi there,
    I came upon this site by accident and was thrilled. Gradually bringing back a lot of old memories. Many thanks to all of the contributors and to you, Beth Anne.

    So far, I can identify the following. Many more may come back to me over the next few days.

    Photo # 4: Back row, second from right: Could be Frances Walsh

    Photo # 3: Third row counting from the front, starting from the left: #1 is Cathy Greene, #4 is Maureen Kavanagh, # 9 is Debbie Fitzpatrick, then Janice Baird, Kathy Turner, and Cathy Fitzpatrick.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi,

    I am very proud to have been part of this choir. I am in the middle section, second row. From left to right, there's Paula Walsh, Cindy?, Margot Walsh, me, Kathy Stone and Patsy Keating.

    My sister, Ellen, & I went to the school closing, which I believe was 1999. Sister Brendan had her 50th Jubilee as a Presentation Sister that year and myself, and some of the other choir members went to Grand Falls-Windsor to sing at the Mass and celebrate her 50th year. We stayed at the Mount Peyton Hotel and had a lot of fun. Sr. Brendan is a wonderful person, who inspired many of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also sang with the choir but didn't got to Ottawa. I did go to sing at Sister Brendan's 50th Jubilee! It was a great time, we sang on the bus all the way out under Jacinta Mackey's direction. It was a great time and it was like we never left...just picked up the songs like we had been singing them all the time! Colleen Murphy Frampton

      Delete
  11. I wonder if anybody on here remembers Michelle (mick) Welch who lived on Barters Hill in St'John's?It would be nice to know what happened to her.I was her neighbor who lived across the street from her.I now live in Houston,Texas but remember her well,She was such a dish!LOL Pat O'Neill!

    ReplyDelete
  12. BTW,she went to Presentation in the late 50s early 60s!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Pat
      I hope someone will be able to help you out with finding your friend from Barter's Hill. It is always a great thrill to find old friends. Thanks for looking in & I hope you will continue to do so. All the best.

      Delete
  13. Hi Beth Anne, I read above about the Celebration Album & was wondering if it were possible to get a copy of it. I was one of the many girls who spent hours & hours in that hot studio during the recording. I remember one day we had been there for what seemed forever & finally finished our last song, when it was replayed they discovered that the mic had picked up one of the girl's stomach growl & we had to record again! It's funny now, but not back then in that warm studio. lol BTW, that you for posting my sister Cindy's (Healey) obituary in Jan. She passed away from ALS & we all miss her dearly. And yes, we were all St. Patrick's Girls - Betty, June, Sharon, Cindy & myself, Teri. Enjoy all your post so much, thanks for sharing!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Terri Evans

      Thanks for getting in touch. I am so sorry about the loss of your sister, Cindy. I don't think I knew her but Betty is about my age & I remember her from St Patrick's & Fermeuse! I also remember Sharon from summers spent in Fermeuse. I know June very well &, although I haven't seen her in years, I think of June as a friend.

      About the Album, I don't know where you could get a copy but perhaps if you are still in contact with any of the other girls who were in the choir, they might have a copy. Then it might be possible to get a copy from their copy. That might be a way?

      Speaking of your sisters, I know that Sharon is officially the first Newfoundland born Canadian! I came across a newspaper article from a few years ago & I was wondering if Sharon would mind if I posted about it on the School Blog. Would you mind asking her to contact me on mcallistersmith@gmail.com? As you probably guessed,I am very proud of St Patrick's & its former students & I like to spread the word on their accomplishments!

      Thanks Terri, please keep in touch & good luck with the album

      Delete
  14. Hi Beth Anne, So sorry, I only now saw your comment. I sure will ask Sharon to reach out to you but like me, she is not very computer savvy. lol I can tell you though that I am sure she wouldn't mind if you wanted to post about her being NL's first official Canadian. She herself is a little shy about talking about it & I guess since she didn't get very much recognition for it, she shy's away. Joey Smallwood was probably the only Premiere to actually invite her to much of anything, but now having said that I do remember attending a taping of a concert with her I believe for the 50th anniversary.

    ReplyDelete