2002 Inductees: Katherine E. Bellamy, R.S.M.
Category: Music
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Sister Kathrine once prepared an autobiography to be used by a local television station in describing her life. It began: "Music was always a part of my life." I can think of no better words to begin this short citation as we prepare to induct her as a member of the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John's HALL OF HONOUR. From her earliest years she was surrounded by music. She can hardly remember when she started to learn the piano. It was at such an early age that she still can't remember learning the actual notes! However, it was her mother who was her first music teacher.
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At 18 years of age, Sister Kathrine entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Mercy, and in 1944, at Our Lady of Mercy School, she greeted her very first music pupil - a 6-year old girl. Sister is reported to have said that she was not sure which one of them was more nervous! At Our Lady of Mercy she taught music all day. Before and after school hours she taught piano and violin to boys from other schools.
In 1956, she was transferred to Bell Island, and, during her five years there, regularly brought children to St. John's to participate in the newly established annual Kiwanis Music Festival.
In 1960, she returned again to Our Lady of Mercy School, and began teaching singing to every class in the school - Kindergarten to Grade 8, 1100 students! During this period, under Sister Kathrine's direction, the "Our Lady of Mercy Glee Club", numbering 120 voices, was formed. This choir became very well known and was in great demand to perform, and competed in the Music Festival each and every year. In 1964, it became the first Newfoundland choir to win the Mathieson Trophy in National Music Festival competition. In 1967, the choir was honoured by being asked to sing six concerts at Expo ‘67 in Montreal.
In 1992, Sister Kathrine was actively involved in a triple celebration: - the 150thanniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland, the opening of Our Lady of Mercy School in 1843, and the Silver Jubilee of Expo ‘67. To help commemorate these events, she prepared a choir of Mercy Alumnae for a concert. About 80 adult singers had only three weeks to rehearse! They performed many of the songs that they had sung 25 years before, and the concert was a wonderful success. Many of Sister Kathrine's former students returned to Newfoundland just for the occasion. In fact, the "Our Lady of Mercy Alumnae Choir" stayed intact for a number of years, and manages to compete quite successfully each year in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Many of you may recall that this choir reassembled to participate in the Festival's 50th Anniversary Grand Concert in the year 2000.
Sister Kathrine has been a driving force for music in the city of St. John's and with the Kiwanis Music Festival since its beginning in 1952. By striving for excellence in vocal production and for her ceaseless encouragement of her students to strive to do their very best with the talents God gave them, she contributed greatly to the success and growth of the Kiwanis Music Festival for many years.
It is with a great deal of pride and admiration that we now induct her into the Kiwanis Music Festival Association of St. John's HALL OF HONOUR in the MUSIC CATEGORY.
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