Pat's People

Websites:  No
Origin: London, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Formed in 1971 at St. Patrick’s Church in London, Ontario, Pat’s People was an all-girl vocal group whose private-press LP Today remains one of the rarest Canadian folk recordings of the 1970s. The group blended gentle folk-pop harmonies with a strong Christian message, offering a youthful, female-driven reflection of both the singer-songwriter movement and early Catholic liturgical folk traditions.

The group originated after teenagers Denise Pelley and Bernadette LaPorte performed their first folk Mass at the church. Encouraged by new rector Father Jim Nolan, the ensemble soon expanded to include Joanne Rynen, Sharon Gaskell, and Kelly McGlone. Over the course of the following year, they rehearsed regularly, curated a mix of folk-rock standards and spiritual songs, and arranged their music with the goal of “making it a personal thing.” The resulting album, Today, was released through Academy Records International and manufactured by Diadem Records in Thamesford, Ontario.

The lineup included:

Sharon Gaskell, age 24 – part-time university student and elementary school teacher

Kelly McGlone, age 23 – part-time university student and elementary school teacher

Bernadette LaPorte, age 15 – student at Catholic Central High School

Denise Pelley, age 14 – student at Catholic Central High School

Joanne Rynen, age 14 – student at Catholic Central High School

All five members contributed vocals and had experience with choral singing and instrumentation. The album’s material ranges from spiritual anthems like “We Shall Overcome” and “Our Father,” to topical protest songs such as Malvina Reynolds’ “What Have They Done to the Rain,” and covers of contemporary folk staples like “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “Dona, Dona.”

Though the album was modestly distributed and intended for their church and local community, it has since become a sought-after artifact among collectors of Canadian folk and Xian (Christian) music. Its plaid cover, handwritten liner notes, and youthful sincerity offer a rare glimpse into early 1970s grassroots female musical expression in Ontario.

The group disbanded shortly after the album’s release, but one member, Denise Pelley, would go on to enjoy a celebrated career in jazz, soul, and musical theatre. Based in London, Ontario, she has since performed internationally, recorded multiple solo albums, and appeared alongside legends like Harry Belafonte and Oliver Jones. Her one-woman show Jazzabel debuted in 1998 to critical acclaim, cementing her status as one of Canada’s great vocal stylists.

Pat’s People may not have fit the mold of Canada’s louder, more rebellious 1970s girl bands — but they remain a meaningful part of the larger narrative: an all-female ensemble, performing on their own terms, navigating their faith, voices, and agency within a male-dominated cultural sphere. Their recording stands as a poignant and unusually well-documented expression of regional, female-led DIY music from a time and place where few such documents exist.
-Robert Williston

Sharon Gaskell: vocals
Kelly McGlone: vocals
Bernadette LaPorte: vocals
Denise Pelley: vocals
Joanne Rynen: vocals