Eleanor Joanne Daley (born April 21, 1955) is a Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and church music, a church

choir director A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

clinician and accompanist. She lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. Among her best-known works are ''The Rose Trilogy'' and ''Requiem''.

Early life and education

Daley was born in Parry Sound, Ontario. She earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in organ performance from

Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to: * Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada *Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK ** Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950) **Queen's University of Belfa ...

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toront ...

, and attained diplomas in

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

and

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, having studied in both Canada and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Career

As a composer, Daley has been commissioned by choral groups and arts organizations throughout North America and Europe. In Canada, she composed for the

Elmer Iseler Singers The Elmer Iseler Singers is a professional chamber choir based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The twenty-voice choir, conducted by Artistic Director ''Lydia Adams'', founded by Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, is one of Canada’s leading choral ensem ...

, the Amadeus Choir, the Bach Children's Chorus, the

Maryland State Boychoir The Maryland State Boychoir is an internationally touring American boys' choir based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1987 by Frank Cimino, and was designated by Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer as "Maryland's Official Goodwill ...

, the Amabile Youth Singers, Toronto Children's Chorus, the Cantabile Singers of Kingston, the Savridi Singers, the

Vancouver Men's Chorus The Vancouver Men's Chorus is a non-profit choir. Composed of gay men and their friends, the chorus aims to promote community spirit and a positive image of the gay community. The Chorus is a member of the Vancouver Cultural Alliance, the Britis ...

and the Victoria Scholars. Daley worked under commission to a number of groups in the United States, including the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay,

Texas Woman's University Texas Woman's University (TWU) is a public coeducational university in Denton, Texas, with two health science center-focused campuses in Dallas and Houston. While TWU has been fully co-educational since 1994, it is the largest state-supported u ...

, the Texas Choral Directors Association, and received the 2008

Brock Commission The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 ...

from the

American Choral Directors Association The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 ...

., Retrieved March 2016 Commissions from Europe include festivals in Norway and Germany, and England's

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

. Daley's music has been published by Canadian, US, and UK-based printing houses. Daley's a capella work "I Sing a Maiden" was performed in New York in 2014 by a 400-voice choir as part of an International Women's Day celebration. Daley continues to work as a composer. Her work "My Master from a Garden Rose" has been recorded by the Genesis Ensemble. 2018 she serves as the music and

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

director at Fairlawn Avenue

United Church A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations. Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...

and as accompanist for the Bach Children's Chorus. She was appointed to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the c ...

in 2022, "for her contributions to Canadian music and choral culture as a renowned composer and accompanist."

References

External links

Eleanor Daley
at Alliance Music Publications. Retrieved 18 January 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Daley, Eleanor Joanne 1955 births Living people Canadian classical composers Canadian classical organists Queen's University at Kingston alumni People from Parry Sound, Ontario Classical composers of church music 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Women classical composers Canadian choral conductors 20th-century Canadian composers Women organists 20th-century conductors (music) 21st-century Canadian conductors (music) 21st-century organists 20th-century women composers 21st-century women composers Canadian women composers Officers of the Order of Canada Musicians from Toronto

Early life and education

Career

See also

References

External links