Celebrating 25 Years!

Rosalee

Rosalee Writes and Sings Women's Oral History

welcome

Celebrating Women's History for 25 years

2024

This year marks my Silver Anniversary of celebrating Canadian women's oral history in story and song. Creating my "song portraits" and custom concerts has been a fascinating and essential journey of discovery, research and creative expression of our remarkable Canadian women; essential because of the continual diminishment of our grandmothers' history amid the constant bombardment online. We have much to learn of and from their grit, grace and gumption to change the world for our and future generations' benefit. We still have much to do to and to learn from their shining legacy, especially now.

The penultimate example? 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of L. M. Montgomery's birth. Maud, author of world famous Anne of Green Gables TM, has a huge and inspirational story. I'm very excited to be sharing 6 years' of my work about Maud in concert this year. I hope you will find strength in her unforgettable voice, and the women's voices I've written in song for 25 years. I have been honoured to carry the title of Heritage Ambassador of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society, mindful of her indelible legacy and of being among those who follow in her footsteps.

Thank you for listening and for your continuing support. I love sharing these remarkable women with you.

L.M. Montgomery and related indica is a trademark of Heirs of L.M. Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables and other indicia of "Anne" are trademarks and/or Canadian official marks of the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority Inc., and are used with permission.

Discover Rosalee's Books

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

MY MAUD by KATIE MAURICE

To celebrate the importance of friendship during these trying times, Rosalee has created something new: A Storybook for adults as well as children about Canadian literary heroine L.M. (Maud) Montgomery's life of imagination. Rosalee wrote it from the perspective of Maud's (and Anne of Green Gables') imaginary friend, Katie Maurice. It is creatively illustrated with authentic vintage photos taken by and of L.M. Montgomery, curated and edited by Rosalee to tell her-story. This beautiful, magical storybook makes kindred spirits of us all.Again, Rosalee has joined forces with Dee and Neil at www.meisterworks.ca to create this delightful publication.Many thanks to Dr. Mary Rubio and Univ. of Guelph archivist, Lara Carleton.

Available in Hard Cover and Soft Cover

Contact Rosalee for an autographed book

Buy Book

Poetry Collection

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

MY MAGIC WINDOW

Everyday Encouragement in Poetry and Prose

For 25 years, Rosalee has celebrated Grandmothers' Voices in story and song and now she is a grandmother! Rosalee is excited to share her first collection of poetry.

This very light, easy reading, touching and witty heartfelt book of poetry, prose and photos, reflects the beauty, simplicity, frustrations and fun of everyday life in our trying times.

Buy Book

Rosalee

ROSALEE's NOTES

Who am I?
1. I am a musical, women's oral historian. Since 1999 I have been honoured to listen to our elder women, record and research their stories, write them in song and perform them for international audiences. I am passionate about imparting women's stories. They are the foundation of how our societies work. They are the largest majority of unsung heroes. They are the Grand Mothers of our country. I am passionate about our women's oral history and love sharing our stories.

2. I am a singer. My voice is strong yet delicate and I have been trained to use the whole thing. I sing in different styles: I love roots, I also love blues, jazz and opera and sing them all in my folk-fusion style. My voice and art are unique.
3. I am a writer, a poet. I started lisping life in poems at age 3. I love to distill life into potent poetry. I love to taste words and phrases, to say and sing them until they quicken in others ears and imaginations. In Spoken Word and in Song, I am a poet.

4. I am a composer of music. Along with life's lyrics come its tunes. I hear music in words and phrases. Melodies leak from life as readily as tears of joy or sorrow. My music is singable, and quickens the connection between our present and our past.

I am grateful for these gifts and for you.

Photo by Lillian Wauthier

Rosalee singing at Pier 21, Halifax, NS
Photo by J. Stone

ROSALEE's WORK

Nova Scotian, Rosalee Peppard Lockyer and her effervescent art are truly unique: A musical women's historian, Rosalee collects and transcribes an authentic living echo of the voices of Canadian women she interviews and researches. She crafts their stories into "Song Portraits," and shares them powerfully in her “Hauntingly beautiful live performance.”

Inspirational, Educational, Motivational

Through a variety of musical voices - from Folk to Blues to Opera - themes of Love, Literacy, Triumph over loss and shame, Heritage and humour, all soar on Rosalee’s shimmering voice, self-accompanied on guitars and dulcimers. Rosalee connects listeners with our poignant, "living" past. She colours each show with her exciting interpretations of traditional and popular songs we all know and love, and polishes each concert with the light of laughter and fun.

Rosalee loves to share the secret of these voices and has great joy in teaching the history, literary and music composition, in her concerts, or her speaking/singing presentations, as well as vocal and writing workshops.

Find out more

Rosalee's CD's

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

Voices album is about rising from adversity. It includes original oral history and personal songs as well as covers to uplift and inspire.

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

Legacy is full of Canadian women's oral history stories, masterfully crafted into beautiful songs.

Buy Music

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

No Place Like Home immersed 20 years ago as Rosalee's acclaimed debut album of Canadian women's oral history

Annual Notes

2024

See above

2023

This year, I am honoured to announce a new "Song Portrait" commission. The S.S Atlantic Heritage Park Society invited me to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the shipwreck with a song written from the women's perspective. In the research, I discovered the work of Lynette Richards "Call Me Bill" on sailor "Bill/Maggie Armstrong" who, along with all the women, girls and baby passengers and crew on the S.S. Atlantic, also drowned. My song includes honouring a legacy of Trans heroes such as Bill.

Click Events for performance dates.

Let us all stay creative in Love, Inclusion and Kindness.

SS Atlantic

2022

This year, as a women's historian, I have created something new that I hope will encourage you. It is a Storybook I wrote for adults - something different and beautiful to pick up and refresh your creativity and imagination. It is a storybook about Canada's literary heroine, L.M. (Maud) Montgomery and her life of imagination which I wrote from the perspective of its personification, Katie Maurice, who was Maud's and Anne' of Green Gables' imaginary friend! This magical storybook is illustrated with 87 vintage photographs taken by LMM, or portraits of her and her works, with immeasurable thanks to Dr. Mary Rubio and U.of Guelph Archivist Lara Carleton, as well as www.meisterworks.ca

"MY MAUD By KATIE MAURICE" will be available in April, in hard cover, paperback and e-book.

Let us all stay creative in Love and Kindness.

2021

For over 20 years, I have celebrated our Grandmothers' Voices in story and song. Now I have a brand new grandson! And so, with my husband, Allan's encouragement, I wrote intimate daily reflections on our experience and took loads of photos as well. With the help of Dee and Neil at MeisterWorks, the result is:

MY MAGIC WINDOW

Every Day Encouragement

in Poetry and Prose

It is my first book of poetry and prose and is published! I hope you order your copy and some for friends.

In the meantime, I want to encourage you to create. Express yourself on a page or musically or with fabric or wood or anything that beautifies our suffering world. Your work encourages us all.

2020

I hope you and your family are healthy and safe. Who would ever have envisioned this year would be tossed in the tempest of a peerless pandemic?

What stories we survivors will have to share with future generations! I hope from these extreme times, we will truly learn to listen and be open enough to learn from each other; to be generous with our thoughts and actions. Though our bodies may be quarantined, isolated and distanced, our hearts and minds can grow ever closer, through shared fear, grief, injustice, as well as through kindness; steadily opening with specific intent to the gift of our profound oneness in our shared humanity on this fragile planet. What will the history books say of us in years to come?

We all hold the pen now.

2019

marked the 20th Anniversary of my musical oral history work.

My focus is on continuity, celebrating centuries of women's authentic stories, connecting our present with their past. My work blending women's history, music and performance arts is so humbling and enriching. It is a great equalizer. Gifts of true stories flow generously from women of our past to illuminate our present and offer wisdom to help create a clearer perspective for our future generations of women. From our elders' stories, transcribed through my own poetic and musical gifts, I create a medium of beauty, "Song Portraits" which carry our elders' stories on the "wings of song", much like our oral traditions.

In 2017, I was honoured to receive the title of "Heritage Ambassador" of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society.
For Canada 150, the Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario invited me to create one of my "Song Portraits" of our great Canadian literary giant L.M. Montgomery*. My Canada 150 song-cycle project: "Rosalee Sings Maud", has been officially endorsed by the Heirs of L.M.Montgomery, Inc.

In 2018, I was invited to create a concert to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the L.M. Montgomery Institute during the L.M. Montgomery and Reading Conference.

(*L.M. Montgomery is a registered trademark of the Heirs of L.M.Montgomery, Inc)

I offer musical variety and each presentation is different. I regularly present: my internationally acclaimed musicale:

LIVING TITANIC

which is officially endorsed by the

Titanic Society of Atlantic Canada;

HERitage in Story and Song; A Homemade Christmas, as well as other seasonal and custom concerts.

Whether solo or with other artists, you'll experience:

Genuine Canadian content ~ Intelligent, Energetic & Fun Entertainment Historically Accurate Masterful Stories ~ Songs and sing-alongs

Connecting & Inspiring audiences of all ages

So thank you for stopping by and I hope you'll "click" on in for more. If you have a story or would like to learn more about my work, I'd love to hear from you, just visit my "Contact" page.
To familiar friends, I am so grateful for your support through the years. To new friends, I am delighted you're here!

(fyi: The terrific front page photos are by friends and Anne Victoria Photography)

In HERitage and Harmony,

ROSALEE

Rosalee

Rosalee Writes and Sings Women's Oral History

welcome

Celebrating Women's History for 25 years

Discover Rosalee's Books

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

Poetry Collection

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

Storybook about Anne of Green Gables' Author

Rosalee

ROSALEE's NOTES

ROSALEE's WORK

Rosalee's CD's

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

DIGITAL ALBUMS AVAILABLE ! Click below

Annual Notes

Subscribe

Social