She also had a voice studio in the apartment on Central Park West in New York City which she shared with her husband, Maurice Gordon, a psychiatrist who died in 1987. Ned Rorem once described her voice as 'a cloud of peridot chiffon', and she sang in the world premieres of several of his works, including the 1957 premiere of The Poet's Requiem for soprano, chorus and orchestra.įollowing her retirement from the stage, Ellen Faull taught singing for many years at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School. As a recitalist, she was a champion of contemporary American composers. Her final performance there was as Abigail in Jack Beeson's Lizzie Borden, a role she had created in the opera's world premiere in 1965.

Mozart's Don Giovanni and continued to sing leading roles with the company until 1978. She made her debut there in 1947 as Donna Anna in the company's first production of W.A. She went on to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and later in New York City.Īs an opera singer, Ellen Faull sang throughout the USA and occasionally in Europe, but she was primarily associated with New York City Opera. She showed an early talent for singing and while still a teenager, her teacher introduced her to the conductor Eugene Ormandy who let her use his private box for all of the Philadelphia Orchestra's concerts. During the Great Depression, she and her brothers and sisters went door-to-door selling their mother's home-baked bread to bring in extra money. Memorial donations to the Kidney Foundation or the Barrhaven Food Cupboard would be appreciated by the family.The American soprano and distinguished voice teacher, Ellen Hartla Faull, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a working-class family. (613) 692-1211 on Wednesday, August 9 from 2- 4 and 7-9 pm, and on Thursday, August 10 from 1:00 pm until the time of service in the chapel at 2:00 pm. Friends are invited to visit at CAPITAL FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY 3700 Prince of Wales Dr. Finally, special thanks to Janet Dodds for transporting Mom to dialysis with love and care, and to Melanie Spencley for the special comfort and care she extended to Mom and the family. Elizabeth for making it possible for mom to live comfortably and die at home in the arms of her loving family. The family would like to thank the staff at the Dialysis Units of the Ottawa Hospital who provided competent compassionate care over the past 13 years, the Champlain Local Health Integration Network, the Personal Support Workers from ParaMed and Wee Care, and the Palliative Care team staff of St.

Sister Edna will be deeply missed by her step-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, church family and friends in Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.

Beloved sister of the late Sylvester, the late Keturah and Stanley Ormsby. And great-grandmother of McCoy and Stokely Jack-Downie. Cherished grandmother of Calvin Laurence Downie (Cindy Jack) and Aubrey Downie. Loving and devoted mother of Pearl Downie (Calvin) and stepmother of the late Henry, the late Trevor and Rudyard (Rose).

Loving wife of Emmanuel Brown of Kingston, Jamaica for 18 years. At home in the arms of her loving family, on Sunday, July 30, 2017, in her 100th year.

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