Caribbean Heroes: Pearle Christian – The Dominican Maestro

Irene’s look back at her experience in the Sisserou Singers is reaffirming.  “Aunty Pearle and the choir dynamic did not allow anyone to remain stagnant; no matter how talented or ordinary we initially saw ourselves, there was always room for improvement, and we were encouraged to be more. We were always working to improve ourselves and the group, avoiding mediocrity, following Aunty Pearle’s words ‘anything worth doing, is worth doing well’.

Karen Matthew, who first worked with Ms. Christian at the Convent High School choir and later served as a secretary of the Sisserou Singers, agrees. “It’s probably fair to say that just about everyone who has the fortune to share space with Aunty Pearle is better for it. Personally, as a young adult, I had the opportunity to fine tune skills that continue to serve me to this day. Her constant reminders to strive for excellence and to practice kindness continue to be at the forefront of a lot of my actions and are concepts that I try to share with others.”

Pearle Christian was born in La Plaine to a family with a record of exceptional service to Dominica.  Her father Henckell was an educator and later a Minister of Education and Health, and her uncle L.M. Christian composed the music for our National Anthem, Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendor.  Like many of the original members of SFSS, Ms. Christian attended Covent Prep, Convent High School, and Clifton Dupigny Community College before leaving Dominica to attend the Jamaica School of Music where she graduated with a diploma in music education. She would later earn a master’s in music education from the University of Texas.

Over the many decades of dedicated work in music and the arts, Pearle Christian has worn many influential hats.  For over three decades, she served Dominica diligently as a senior officer in the Division of Culture until her retirement in 2015.  She is a creator and a leader. She was a founding member and manager of the National Chorale under the direction of Edith Bellot Allen. She is a singer. She has lent her beautiful voice to several choirs, including her local church choir and the Dominica Folk Singers. She is a teacher. She trained and taught a countless number of students at the popular Kairi School of Music. She is a producer, director, and storyteller. She created numerous musicals including her decades of work with the Sisserou Singers. She is a philanthropist. She founded the Dominican Association of Music Educators (DAME), an entity dedicated to advocating for access to music education for all Dominicans.

In 2008 she was awarded a Meritorious Service Award by the Government of Dominica, and  in 2016, a Golden Drum Award, Dominica’s highest cultural award presented by the National Cultural Council and Division of Culture, for her contributions. Most worthy recognitions for a cultural icon who inspired so many of Dominica’s youth. Jeanel Georges, who first met Ms. Christian at a summer program of music and choral speaking noted that Ms. Christian through her counsel also taught her the importance of staying true to herself and to engage in opportunities that are in “harmony with my core values. Pearle’s influence extends beyond that of a music teacher, she becomes a friend. And I value that friendship.”

Midge Hill Royer, who first met Ms. Christian at a cultural event at the Old Mill Cultural Center hosted by Ms. Christian when she was about nine years old, was also part of my high school choir where Aunty Pearle served as our unofficial director. Midge later joined the Kairi School of Music choir. She noted that Aunty Pearle “always had more confidence in my voice than I did…Today, when I sing, I hear her in my head…”

Pearle Christian has lived her life in service to Dominica and our young people. She currently owns the Henckell Muriel Music Workshop (HMMW), a private music studio which offers tuition on flute and recorder.  HMMW mounts an annual concert which features the students of the workshop.

In Karen Matthew’s words “what an impact she has had on so many of us”. Indeed, so many of us are better because of the leadership we observed from Pearle Christian, the values she instilled, and the love and care that she gave. And that’s in addition to the beauty and the color that she brought to our lives through singing, music, and storytelling. To those hundreds of Dominican children, their families, and our communities, she is most assuredly, a Caribbean hero.