Brainerd Blyden-Taylor
Not even a year after Brainerd Blyden-Taylor directed the Peterborough Singers in Sacred Soul, a celebration of spiritual music, he took his own choir to Washington—to perform during the inauguration of President Barak Obama. Blyden-Taylor is the founder, Artistic Director and conductor of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Canada's first professional chamber choir dedicated to the creation and performance of Afrocentric music of all styles. He first conducted The Peterborough Singers in 1996, and, for that concert, he brought with him a teenage girl with a voice destined to make her a star—Measha Brueggergosman.

Sally Dibblee
Soprano Sally Dibblee first performed with the Peterborough Singers in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Her "floating high pianissimos" and "tender, rapturous, and pure" singing, to quote a Vancouver critic, were more than evident in the noted solo soprano aria Dulcissime, which demands extremely high notes. Dibblee returned the next year to solo in that season’s Valentine concert, where a highlight was her rendition of Wien, Wien, Nur du Allein (Vienna, City of My Dreams).

Mark Dubois
Our first honorary patron, Mark Dubois has a long history of supporting the arts in and around the Peterborough area. This world-renowned lyric tenor has career highlights that could take up pages. He has performed for the late Pope John Paul II, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, President Ronald Reagan, and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He was a guest soloist at the farewell concert honouring the great Canadian soprano Lois Marshall, and he sang at the Right Honourable D. Roland Michener's (Governor General of Canada) State Funeral.

Gary Relyea
This famous Canadian bass-baritone has been a friend to the choir since he sang in the Peterborough Singers’ first presentation of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Gary Relyea, who is “renowned for the richness of his voice and his compelling musical insights,” has thrilled audiences around the world, singing with prestigious orchestras including those of Cleveland, Montreal, Toronto, Baltimore, Detroit, San Francisco, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa's National Arts Centre Orchestra. He debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Schonberg's Gurrelieder conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, with performances in both Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall, and he later repeated the work with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Sylvia Sutherland
This former Canadian politician served five terms as mayor of the City of Peterborough and was a strong supporter of its cultural development during her tenure. She was an eager participant of the Singers’ Songs of World War II fundraiser and helped make it possible for many veterans to attend. Before entering politics, Sylvia Sutherland worked as a journalist in this region. Currently, she has accepted appointment to the Ontario Municipal Board and travels extensively throughout the province hearing applications and appeals relating to land use, finance, and other municipal issues.

Ruth Watson Henderson
Ruth Watson Henderson is an eminent pianist, composer, and teacher. She first performed with the Peterborough Singers at the choir’s first presentation of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. In her own words, “If Gary Relyea is going to sing the aria ‘Make Thee Clean,’ I’ll be there.” She was, and she accompanied him beautifully on harpsichord. Henderson spends a considerable amount of her time composing these days, and a biennial competition, the Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition contest, is named for her and honours her work.