Patricia Allison Bishop

Pat Bishop was born 7 May 1942, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Her contribution to the culture of Trinidad was confirmed in 1995 when she was awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s highest award, The Trinity Cross.

Today she is known as an international artist and musical director of the Lydian Singers Choir. However, as a singer she first encountered the steelpan movement when she sang with the Tripoli Steel Orchestra.

Later she became an arranger for the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra (1986 to 1996).  Her success as an arranger also led her to work with bands such as Birdsong, Fonclaire, Skiffle Bunch, Phase II, Renegades and Trinidad All Stars.

Sadly, Pat passed away 20 August 2011.

In 2012 the Lydian Singers Choir entered Panorama singing a Lennox Sharpe composition, Archbishop of Pan.

Today, there are many more women in pan and their achievements have been recorded along side their male counterparts.  However, this was not the case when pan was emerging.

In the days of rioting and stick fighting, it was deemed too dangerous for women to take part in carnival bands.  Therefore, they were not equally represented at that time.

Nevertheless, this did not mean that women were not an integral part of pan’s emergence.  It wasn’t until the mid to late1950s an all female steelband emerged.  

Hazel Henley, Daisy James-McLean and Ursula Tudor were some of the early female pioneers.  Like many others, their efforts link directly to the many leading steel orchestras in Trinidad today.