Doris Lewis

Lewis, Doris

Doris Lewis (b Mills). Teacher, soprano, b Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ont, 1908, d Vancouver 29 Dec 1966. She studied piano in Fort William and voice (with Ruth Morgan) and piano in Brandon, Man, before moving to Winnipeg. There she concentrated on voice, studying with Stanley Hoban, Gladys Whitehead, and J. Roberto Wood among others. She also took some lessons with John Goss. Never a leading soloist, she sang in the CBC Choristers and other choirs.

Lewis became known as one of Canada's outstanding voice teachers. Her pupils were noted for warm, natural, well-projected sound, fine enunciation, and a developed sense of musical values. In 28 years in Winnipeg, where she taught 1938-46 at the Bornoff School and 1946-66 privately, her pupils included Paul Fredette, Joan Hall, Gladys Kriese-Caporale, Joan Maxwell, Norman Mittelmann, Mary Morrison, Henriette Platford (Ascher Duo), Sylvia Saurette, and Phyllis (Cooke) Thomson.