Sister Rita Clare

Dedicated to the love of music and the pursuit of excellence in its teaching, Sister Rita Clare is recognized as an outstanding educator.

She completed a Master of Arts degree in Music and Music Education at Columbia University in New York and pursued further studies at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, the Saratoga Potsdam Choral Institute, New York, and the Voice Care Network, Collegeville, Minnesota. She has been associated with workshops with such outstanding conductors as Sir David Willcocks, Dr. Elmer Iseler and Jon Washburn.

Until her retirement, she was the Supervisor of Fine Arts for the Cape Breton District School Board. She is past director of the Holy Angels Chorale and the Cape Breton Youth Choir, and is the founding and current director of the Cape Breton Chorale.

Under her direction, the Cape Breton Chorale has been recognized nationally and internationally for its artistic performances.

Sister Rita Clare's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 1985, she was made an Honorary Citizen of the City of Sydney. The Government of Nova Scotia expressed its gratitude for her work in organizing and conducting a two hundred voice choir organized for the Jeux Canada Games in 1987. Also, in 1992 she received a commemorative medal on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada.

She is an honorary life member of the Nova Scotia Music Educators Association (1998) and the Nova Scotia Choral Federation (1998) as well as well as the Jubilate Award of Merit presented by the Canadian Music Educators Association in recognition of significant contribution to Music Education in Canada (2005).

One of Sister's most cherished awards is the degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa in 1991 from the University College of Cape Breton recognizing her as a "leader in the Arts in Cape Breton and a foremost promoter of music education in Nova Scotia."