Black History Month - Week 3

From Norristown, Pennsylvania, Louise Rose has been a police officer, a Baptist missionary, and a sociology teacher, and an accomplished musician. She has served as a vocal jazz clinician, composer, recording artist, and more. She received an honorary doctorate from University of Victoria in 2001 in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the community. 

“Louise Rose is extraordinarily gifted as a music maker. She has studied and worked with many familiar (and famous) names; among them, Aretha Franklin, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Leonard Bernstein. Louise is treasured for her skills at arranging - and that might owe something to her studies with Duke Ellington at Tanglewood - but it also owes a great deal to the arranger herself...While Ms. Rose's association with high-powered and splendid musicians has surely benefited her (and them!); and while she teaches, arranges and performs across the North American continent; and while she has been the host of the top-rated, nation-wide Vision Television program, Let's Sing Again, it is through the particular lens of her work in Victoria that we may come to understand better the nature of the life to which she commits herself.” (Excerpt from “Awards” at www.lrose.com) 

The Heritage Rose Window in the Alix Goolden Performance Hall of the Victoria Conservatory of Music is dedicated to Louise Rose in recognition of her contribution to music. As Louise says, "The dedication of this window acknowledges and validates the connection that art, culture and spirituality have in common." 

Louise Rose also has an ELCIC connection, serving as the keynote speaker for the Canadian Lutheran Youth Gathering “Bridges” held in Winnipeg in 1994. 

Prayer

God of song, we give thanks for the melodic beauty you gift us with through the music of Black musicians. Raise up Black voices and flourish their song. Bless the work and life of Louise Rose and inspire others through her. In Jesus we pray, Amen.