Dorothy Allan Park

Dorothy (Isobel) Allan Park (b Allan, m Park). Soprano, teacher, choir director, b Aberdeen, Scotland, 3 May 1896, d Toronto 11 Aug 1978. She began musical studies with her father, a professional musician, and continued in London with Giovanni Celrici. The family moved to Toronto in 1908. After her debut in 1912 she continued voice lessons for six years with Dalton Baker and appeared often with chamber music groups throughout Ontario and as soloist with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the TSO. She lived in Peterborough from 1917 to 1941 and there formed the Madrigal Singers (Peterborough, Ont) (1928-41), who toured extensively in Ontario. Allan Park continued to sing in Toronto, however, as soloist 1926-38 at the Church of the Redeemer and 1938-50 at St Paul's Anglican Church. In 1931 she joined the faculty of the TCM (RCMT), where she taught singing and served as an examiner until her death. Among her pupils were Garnet Brooks, Marie Gauley, Margo MacKinnon, Jean Macleod, Robert Reid, Catherine Robbin, and Lillian Smith Weichel.