My love of Gilbert and Sullivan began when I was a young piano student (8 or so years old), and was assigned to play “Selections from H.M.S. Pinafore” in the John Thompson Third Grade Book.  Obviously it was Sullivan’s music that captivated me, and only later did I discover the brilliance and wit of W.S. Gilbert.

I was born and raised in Ohio , and received a B. Mus. from Oberlin College conservatory, majoring in organ and music education.  During my college years I had the opportunity to spend a year in Austria , studying at the Mozarteum. Oberlin had an excellent G.& S. company which presented at least one production every year.  In fact, the first staged G.& S. work I saw was Trial By Jury, presented during my orientation week at Oberlin.  After graduating from Oberlin, I spent two years living in Queens , N.Y., and teaching elementary music in East Meadow, Long Island .  During this time I joined the Village Light Opera in New York , and actually made my one and only N. Y. stage appearance as Cousin Hebe in the VLOG production of H.M.S. Pinafore. 

The next years flew by, as I returned to Ohio , began a masters program as a teaching assistant in the School of Music at The Ohio State University, gave up academia for marriage and ended up in Connecticut .  Time brought about the birth of three daughters, part time work as a church organist, and a typical “surburban housewife” routine.

In 1983 I was asked to be a rehearsal accompanist for the East Lyme Arts Council Gilbert and Sullivan Players production of Iolanthe, and here began an ongoing relationship with G.& S.  Over the years I have been rehearsal accompanist for 26 shows, including all of the G.& S. repertoire with the exception of Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke.  In the summer of 1986 I became the accompanist for the Connecticut Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and the G.& S. Trio, continuing in this capacity for ten years. 

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s I had a very busy life as a community theater rehearsal accompanist, musical director, solo recital accompanist, and teacher. . . .  In fact, I was hardly ever at home!

In 1987, Bob Cumming, Lucy Weed, and I (all with the Connecticut G&S Society) founded a G.& S. Elderhostel program in Ivoryton, where we produced (in two weeks !) fully costumed, and memorized productions.  This became a bit to stressful for our patient but enthusiastic students so the program was modified to run for one week only, with scores in hand and improvised costumes.  It was great fun, and we met (and inspired) many wonderful G.& S. fans. 

In the summer of 1996, Bob Cumming passed his “baton” to Ralph MacPhail, Jr. (“Rafe” to all of us), and a new G.& S. era began at Ivoryton.  With Rafe as the lecturer, stage director, and all-round authority, and yours truly as the musical director, we offered two courses each summer, a basic G.&S. course on the big three (H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado) and another session emphasizing some of the other Savoy operas. 

Now I have at least one week each year of G.& S. at Ivoryton, and the other 51 weeks continue my “other life” as a mother, grandmother to five boys, church organist and choir director at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Norwich , and private piano teacher at the Atkinson-Lyon Piano Studio in Norwich , Ct.

“It’s a wonderful life”, and I’m looking forward to many more musical years, of which G.& S. will always be a part.