Information/Write-up
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
Produced by Pat Nolan
Engineered by Don Scotland
Recorded at St. Patrick’s Church, London, Ontario
Cover photos by Harry Holme, London, Ontario
Cover design by Hugh Buchanan
Manufactured by Diadem Records Custom Division, Thamesford, Ontario
For Academy Records International
Liner notes:
Writers of science fiction envisioned ‘death rays’ long before scientists dreamed of a laser beam. They saw space ships and lunar modules while the world still dreamed of the Model T. They envisioned freezing the sick in suspended animation until a cure could be found, computers, talking robots. And the world laughed.
These same writers also envisioned visits to ‘another dimension’. They saw men transmitting messages by brainwaves, and teleportasting men and material by will power alone. They also saw men travelling freely between the past, present and future. And the world still laughs.
But it looks like the comics will be wrong again. For man has entered the space age, and these fantasies may soon become as commonplace as telephones and lightbulbs.
When the idea of cutting a record was first suggested to Pat’s People, we all laughed, but at the same time we worked. And the work and the laughter have made this album possible. We knew we had an appreciative audience a little more. We listened to hundreds of songs, wrote a few, and kept the best. We practised together at least once a week for a year. Our music matured. We hope it matured a little like wine — that it developed more character, a little more flavour.
I hope you like it. I hope you find it worthwhile. I’ll always remember this album.
— Pat Nolan
“It Rockets Like This”
Pat Nolan, St. Patrick’s Church
“I Quote from the Song ‘To-day’ by K. Sparks”
FROM THE GIRLS:
“We strive to make our music a ‘personal thing’. The songs we sing are about day-to-day happenings; life, and death; love and hate; war and peace; and above all — CHANGES!! We hope that when you listen to these songs, you’ll delve into the meaning, get below the surface, and ‘get involved, blow your cool and make yourselves heard’.”
ABOUT THE GIRLS:
Sharon Gaskell, age 24 and Kelly McGlone, age 23 — are both part-time University Students and Elementary School teachers. Sharon is the only married member of the group.
Bernadette LaPorte, age 15; Denise Pelley, age 14 and Joanne Rynen, age 14 — are students at Catholic Central High School.
All girls are versatile musicians, as all have had formal training in choral work, and enjoy playing various instruments.
PAT’S PEOPLE originated a year ago, when Denise Pelley and Bernadette LaPorte did their first folk mass in St. Patrick’s Church.
Within three weeks, the group grew to its present size, as Sharon Gaskell, Joanne Rynen and Kelly McGlone joined.
Father Jim Nolan, the new rector of the church, encouraged the girls to develop their music. They quickly responded, and the result is this warm and meaningful collection of songs, a debt of warm understanding, and friendship.
No Comments