Obituary of Sharon M. Fisher

Sharon Fisher, an internationally-acclaimed musician and teacher, died Thursday morning, February 23, at St. Clares Compassionate Care Hospice in Dover (NJ) after a long battle with cancer. She was 61. She won awards on both sides of the Atlantic for singing and playing the harp in the Irish tradition, and was well known as a performer at seasonal services, wedding, parties and official functions across northern New Jersey. Born in Orange (NJ), Sharon was graduated from West Orange High School and Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey. As a member of the famed Westminster Choir, she sang with the worlds pre-eminent conductors and orchestras, made two national tours and soloed at the White House. She studied on full scholarship at the Academy of Vocal Arts, Philadelphia, and continued her postgraduate education at Temple and Seton Hall Universities. She sang with the two greatest Jewish tenors, Richard Tucker on the Columbia recording of the Verdi Requiem and Jan Peerce in the Passover services at the Concord Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, New York. She performed with the Manhattan Light Opera Company and the Amato Opera Theater and was soprano soloist for several years at St. Peters Episcopal Church, Morristown New Jersey. Later, she served as organist and choir director at the Church of the Saviour, Denville New Jersey. Her late mothers Irish ancestry led her to study the Irish and Scots Gaelic Languages, and the poetry and music of the Celtic peoples. The harp was a mid-life addition to her career, but it quickly came to dominate it. She won a trophy at the OCarolan Harp Festival in Keadue, County Roscommon, Ireland, and became the first American woman to win the U.S. national championship of Scots Gaelic singing. She was also honored by the Passaic County Irish-American Association, and in 1991, was grand marshal of the annual Holiday Parade in her hometown of Denville. For 16 consecutive years, she and her harp provided the music for the annual Communion Mass of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, St. Patrick Division, in Raritan and Somerville Township, are among many churches that will remember her Christmas music. She estimated that she played the harp and/or organ and/or sang at more than a hundred different churches in northern New Jersey. Her performing venues also included St. Patricks Cathedral, New York: the 21 Club: and Columbia, Seton Hall, Drew, Fairleigh Dickinson, and C.W. Post Universities in America and Stirling University in Scotland. Her music was collected on two solo recordings, Concert Memories and Ireland: Land of Harp and Song. She was a life member of the American Harp Society and a member of the Clarsach Society, Edinburgh Branch; the National Association of Teachers of Singing; the National Association of Pastoral Musicians; the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen; and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Irish traditional music association. She was also a devoted member of the Women of Faith of Resurrection Church, Randolph New Jersey. She is survived by her loving husband of nearly 37 years, Andrew; by many cousins; and by several students who were fortunate enough to receive her instruction in voice, piano or harp. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral from Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave Denville New Jersey www.normandean.com A mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 10 am Monday February 27, 2006 at Resurrection Church, 651 Millbrook Ave, Randolph. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to her favorite charity, Life Outreach International Ft. Worth, Texas.