Photo by William Crooks
Pam Eby sitting at the organ at St. Mark’s Chapel in December 2023, where she continued to share her love of music with the community until her final months.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Pamela Gill Eby, a celebrated organist, music educator, and artist, will be remembered for her lifelong passion for music, particularly in the realms of church and choral music. A memorial service honouring her legacy is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Chapel on the Bishop’s University campus. While the service will bring together friends, family, and former students, the highlight will be Pam’s own recorded organ pieces, lovingly referred to as “Virtual Pam,” which will provide a special accompaniment during the service.

Pam’s remarkable journey with music began at a young age in her hometown of London, Ontario. Though her family was not particularly musical, as her husband, retired Bishop’s University music professor Jack Eby, recounted in a recent interview, “There was a piano in the house, which was the norm in the 1950s.” This simple start led to organ lessons in her teenage years, a turning point that would shape her entire life. Jack noted that “something clicked” when Pam started learning the organ, and her dedication to the instrument grew quickly.

Pam earned her Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance and Theory from the University of Western Ontario in 1974. Her talent was immediately recognized when she won a national organ competition in 1973, leading to a performance on CBC’s “Organists in Recital.” Despite her nervousness before recitals, Pam’s skill was undeniable, though she eventually found her true calling not in solo performances, but in liturgical and choral music, a realm she deeply cherished.

Her career took her across various churches in Ontario, including St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Peter’s in London. After marrying Jack Eby in 1981, the couple spent a year in Paris, where Pam furthered her organ studies at the Conservatoire Nationale de Rueil-Malmaison. The couple then moved to the Eastern Townships in 1984 when Jack was hired at Bishop’s University, a move that Pam embraced fully.

Pam’s contributions to the musical life of Sherbrooke and Bishop’s University were vast and lasting. She served as the organist and choir director at Plymouth-Trinity United Church in Sherbrooke from 1984 to 2004, where she oversaw the rebuilding of the church’s organ for its 150th anniversary. She also played an instrumental role in selecting and managing the renowned Karl Wilhelm organ at St. Mark’s Chapel at Bishop’s, often regarded as one of the finest organs in the Eastern Townships.

Her students at Bishop’s, where she tutored organ for many years, often spoke of Pam’s meticulous attention to detail in hymn playing, a skill she honed under her first organ teacher at London’s Anglican Cathedral. “Her teacher impressed upon her the importance of good hymn playing,” Jack shared. Pam rehearsed each verse of a hymn separately, ensuring that the phrasing aligned with the text. “A good hymn player will understand the text and make sure all the nuances are there,” Jack explained, noting that Pam was one of the best in this art.

One of the most memorable moments of Pam’s career came when she had the honour of selecting and playing the music for a service attended by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during his visit to Bishop’s University. Jack fondly recalled how, during the visit, Prince Philip unexpectedly walked over to meet them. “We were watching from a distance, and then all of a sudden, here he is walking right up to us,” Jack recounted, laughing. “Pam introduced herself as the organist, and Prince Philip asked, ‘So you get to choose all the music?’ to which she responded with her typical humility.”

Pam’s deep connection to music extended far beyond performance. She taught music in local schools, including Lennoxville Elementary, and even developed a course at Bishop’s University on integrating the arts into classroom teaching. Her love for education was clear, and in 2003, she was awarded a Certificate for Teaching Excellence from the SRC.

The visual arts also played an important role in Pam’s life. She took several Fine Arts courses at Bishop’s and participated in vernissages at Uplands Museum in Lennoxville. Though music was her primary passion, her artistic talent was evident in her sketches and paintings. Jack recalled how Pam and her friend, the renowned artist Kay Kinsman, would often go out sketching together, capturing local scenes with their pencils and brushes.

In recent years, Pam’s health challenges slowed her down, but they didn’t stop her from continuing her musical contributions. When COVID-19 hit and in-person services were suspended, Pam began recording hymns and organ solos from home, which were then broadcast into St. Mark’s Chapel. Jack shared, “She called herself ‘Virtual Pam.’ Even when she couldn’t physically be there, her music filled the chapel, and many didn’t even realize she wasn’t present.”

Pam’s last recording, fittingly, was “Amazing Grace,” made just a few months before she passed. This piece, along with several others, will be featured at her memorial service. The service will also include live performances by local organists, reflecting Pam’s deep involvement in the creation of the St. Mark’s organ and her passion for church music.

Her legacy will undoubtedly live on in the hundreds of students she taught and the countless lives she touched through her music and her unwavering commitment to the arts. “She had an incredible ability to bring out the beauty in hymns,” Jack said. “She was the best hymn player I’ve ever known.”

Pam Eby’s life, rich in music, education, and art, was a testament to the power of dedication and passion. As her recorded music plays once more at St. Mark’s Chapel, her presence will be felt not just through the notes but in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.