LOIS KEMPE AITCHISON

1916 — 2008

By Tom Aitchison

I am especially grateful to The Royal Gazette for publishing their tribute to my late wife Lois's memory and presenting it so very well.

The tribute recalled highlights from her wonderfully fulfilling and happy life. Lois lived most of it in Bermuda, her homeland, which she loved more than any other place in the world.

The very first inkling I ever had that there may be something unique about Lois came when we were about eight years old.

For several generations, her family had worshipped at Christ Church of Scotland in Warwick, the Hemisphere's oldest Presbyterian Church (1719).

My family attended St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hamilton. The two churches annually organised a midsummer picnic, usually to Ports Island.

A chartered tender first picked up families from Hamilton. Then it called at Darrell's Wharf for those living in Paget and Warwick.

On this particular occasion, as we approached Darrell's Wharf, I noticed a little girl standing beside the protective dock railings, her tiny hands grasping the top rail.

As I watched, she completed a graceful somersault under, up and over the top rail, landing perfectly on there little feet. No Olympic gymnast could have done it better.

Was Lois giving us a preview of her future artistry, a quality she brought to her music and every other aspect of her life?

Her mother may have wondered, too, once she stopped holding her breath at her pretty little daughter undertaking such an audacious feat.

The years passed. Lois went on to become an outstanding student at the Bermuda High School.

In 1935, she attained the coveted senior Cambridge Local Certificate, the zenith of Bermudian scholastic achievement. That same year, Lois entered Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, where in 1906, her mother had been among the first women to graduate.

Upon graduation with her Bachelor of Music Degree in 1939, Lois accepted a position as organist and choir director at a church in St. John, New Brunswick.

However, she decided to return to Bermuda and was appointed organist and choir director at St. Andrew's Church where she remained until 1942 when she answered an appeal by the University which was having staffing difficulties due to the wartime military draft.

In 1942, Lois learned that her brother, James, living in Sidney, Nova Scotia, was diagnosed with polio.

She was so alarmed that she quit her job immediately and moved to be with him to make sure he was receiving the best care possible and securing admission to the proper hospital.

It proved to be a long and difficult illness, but Jimmy recovered.

Talking to Jim recently he said: "I am eternally grateful for Lois's act of kindness and selflessness, which has stayed with me always." Following Jimmy's recovery, Lois returned to Bermuda for the remainder of the War.

There, she served with the Bermuda Overseas Services Association, under the direction of Mrs. Joyce Maxwell and Mrs. Edna Perinchief. Each month they sent packages of supplies and news from Bermuda to those of us serving overseas. Both ladies had sons serving overseas: Peter Perinchief and Fred Bridges, both in the RAF. Their fathers had served in France in World War I.

These wartime Canadian years became significant in the development of Lois's career. She joined a new level of professional colleagues. A number of them became lifelong friends. Space does not allow bringing details of all of them, but I do want to tell you about two: Doreen H. Hall, CM, of Toronto, and Edna Knock of Brandon, Manitoba.

Doreen was head of the Mount Allison Conservatory string department. Later she moved to Toronto University where she became Professor Emerita. Last year, she was invested in the Order of Canada, the highest honour Canada bestows for distinguished service. The citation praises her lifetime of service for generations of children and their teachers. Ms Hall also introduced the Orff Method of teaching children and teachers to Canada. Orff originated in Bucharest, Hungary.

Edna is a brilliant pianist and choral director. Of a musical background, Edna is Professor Emeritus at Brandon University. An extensive published author of books and articles on music, she recently published a biography, "LITTLE DID I KNOW", based on the life of her elder brother, an educator and administrator.

Lois and Edna differed from most of the others in that they more completely embraced the music of the "Big Band Era" (1935-1950). It was the music we sang, played and danced to as young folk.

Lois concentrated on ballads. Her genius for original melody produced a number of lovely ballads, for which she also wrote the words. I feel the very best was "Wait for me" which she composed in 1955 while travelling in an airliner 30,000 feet above the earth.

I felt Lois's beautiful ballad style most resembled the perfection of pianist Eddie Duchin.

Edna hitched her star to pianist Teddy Wilson of Benny Goodman fame. Indeed, Goodman described Wilson as the finest single instrumentalist the Big Bands produced. Capable of breakneck speed, he could play songs like "Memories of You" and "Time on my Hands" so sensitively that you were inclined to wonder if he had feathers at the end of his hands instead of fingers. Over the years, Edna produced compact discs of her work which are available in major music stores. When Lois returned to Bermuda, it didn't take her long to get established as a much sought-after teacher and performer in her specialities — piano, organ and voice.

Ballet was becoming ever more popular. Dame Patricia Gray, MBE established The Russian School of Ballet. Joining as its piano accompanist, Lois played regularly for the School for many years. Her ability to improvise came into its own. Teaching ballet, by its nature, is a start-stop technique. Lois could instantly synchronise her playing to coordinate with the teacher's instructions.

Everything Lois decided to do she did well. She was superb at accompanying singers. She had no difficulty accompanying a song she had never heard before. She was equally proficient at this skill on the organ. In 1946, Lois decided to take postgraduate studies at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

To support herself, she took a To support herself, she took a job with a well known dentist. Dr. Green was a good amateur violinist, and had a piano in his waiting room. As soon as he heard Lois play, he hired her.

Dr. Green included among his patients some stage and entertainment personalities. A few years earlier, Glenn Miller and his celebrated Orchestra came to New York for a week's engagement at the Paramount Theatre. However, Glen became ill and was unable to appear on stage. Dick Stabile and his Orchestra were featured at the Copacabana Club.

Dick was asked to take over the Miller Orchestra for the week, which he did. Which tells you something of the stature Stabile enjoyed with his peers.

A patient of Dr. Green while in New York, Dick came for his second-last appointment before leaving for the West Coast for the next six months. The doctor said to Dick "You ought to hear a song this young lady has composed". It was "Nightwinds", then her most recent composition. Stabile liked it and told Lois to have the manuscript ready when he came back next week. He promised to take it with him and feature it with his Orchestra in Hollywood.

Sadly, Lois could not get it ready, and has always deeply regretted watching this wonderful opportunity slip away.

Lois's compositions were many and varied. There were choral and religious works. Her version of the Te Deum remains her best classical composition, replete with delightful melodic passages. She wrote it for full philharmonic choir, but it is adaptable for any good church choir.

One year when we were returning to Bermuda, we had to stay overnight in Atlanta. We were sent to the new downtown Hilton Tower. On arrival, we found an enormous reception underway. Hundreds were milling about. We found a table, appropriately, near the grand piano. No one was playing. Soon, we found out why. The musicians returned from a break only to announce their shift had ended for the night. The hosts were shocked.

Listening to the commotion, Lois went over to them and said "I'll play for you". The organisers looked sceptical, but when Lois started to play, frustration and anger gave way to smiles. Guests quickly surrounded the piano, eagerly requesting their favourites. For the rest of the night there were never less than 20 beside the piano. Night? Yes, night! Lois played from eight until midnight.

For all Lois's musical versatility, I shall always believe that teaching children remained her happiest endeavour. She composed special songs for them. She wrote one-, two- and three-act plays for occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and concerts for parents.

Lois's career as a church organist extended over 80 years. Remember, she started when only 12 years old. She played for all major denominations and, from time to time, at others in an emergency.

One Christmas she was thrilled when invited to play the organ at venerable old St. Peter's in St. George's. St. Peter's was built in 1612. Having had extended tenure at St. Anne's (1620), St. Paul's (1623) and St. Mary's (1626), Lois had the distinction of having played the organ at the four oldest Anglican churches in the Western Hemisphere.

Lois had a finely honed sense of humour and fun. A born mimic, she was a marvellous raconteur of seemingly endless anecdotes.

Her stories of things that went amiss during wedding ceremonies were legend. Yet, she never used her wit to anyone's disadvantage. Usually, she could joke her way out of things she really didn't want to do.

She was not a "cards"person. The only say she tolerated card games was if everyone could talk during the game. Some well-meaning friends tried to teach her to play bridge, a game so studious casual talk is taboo. Lois was not enthusiastic. Characteristically, so as not to offend, she accepted. Nevertheless, her mind was at work. As the first hand was dealt and Lois picked up her cards, she exclaimed "What do you call these black things!" The absence of a second session was assured.

A well attended memorial service for Lois was held at Christ Church of Scotland on June 11. Reverend Alan Garrity officiated.

I shall be forever grateful to all those who did so much to make the memorial service the moving occasion it was. The floral arrangements in the Church were lovely.

As I write these words of praise and thanks for a very much loved, admired and respected Bermudian lady and her music, along with so many other gifts, I remain amazed that she found the time and room to include so much so well in her extraordinarily full and busy life.

I feel truly blessed that I was able to share so many years with her. I am by no means the only one who loved Lois deeply. Everyone who ever knew Lois loved her.