Peterborough Singers Accompanist Steps Down After 25 Years of Music

Gael Morrison, accompanist with Peterborough Singers for 25 years, has stepped down from her position, announced on Monday in the Peterborough Singers newsletter.

Gael Morrison and her husband Ev. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Singers.

Following her training at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, Morrison worked with the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, the Peterborough Children’s Chorus and the Cambridge St. United Church Voices of Victory.

Morrison made the drive from Lindsay to Peterborough every week to accompany the Peterborough Singers.

“It made me a better accompanist, since it requires a totally different skill from playing on your own. You need a certain quality and standard to do those big works. And certainly I’ve met some wonderful, interesting people — the music and the people are the highlights,” she said.

While Morrison says she already misses being a part of the Peterborough Singers, she is enjoying having more time for kayaking and hiking.

“A good choir accompanist is the choral conductor’s most important ally in the rehearsal room, and for me, Gael was that person,” said artistic director Syd Birrell. “She is a very fine pianist, an excellent sight reader, a true professional, and she played an integral role in establishing the high standards of the Peterborough Singers, helping build the choir in our early years and beyond.”

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