Jane Best was born in Kingston, Ontario, and began learning piano there as a child. She sang in a children’s choir at Saint George’s United Church in Toronto and continued her music studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music and part-time at the University of Toronto. Twenty five years ago she moved to Manitoulin Island to raise her family in the beautiful fresh air surrounded by lakes and trees. She has also composed three hymns which have been featured in competition concerts and several of her choral pieces that have published. Jane has directed children’s and church choirs and a vocal quartet in Gore Bay, serving in worship leadership for over 20 years. She presently directs the Manitoulin Community Choir, a group of approximately 35 voices and different ages.
Selected works
Keep Your Lamp - SATB a capella.A traditional spiritual which is set in a comfortable range for all the voice parts, this is arranged with easy syncopation and driving rhythms that would make it a fun and memorable piece in and outside of a church setting.
Hope is a Seed - SAB and Piano. Succinct at only 2 minutes, this three verse anthem begins as unison, then in a two part canon, then finishing off with a three part verse. The tune is easy to learn and instantly familiar, so it would be perfect for the church choir who may be short on rehearsal time
In it's 11th year, the Manitoulin Community Choir is the choir that Jane directs, which is a group of about 35 voices. In the summer of 2013, a book of Jane's hymns were published, entitled 'Flowing Spirit'. Jane also teaches privately and in group workshops for harp.