Sharon, Lois, and Bram

Lois Lilienstein of Sharon, Lois, and Bram died yesterday.  I was honestly surprised to read she was 78 years old.  The trio of children's entertainers never seemed like they could ever be senior citizens.  My sister and I loved Sharon, Lois, and Bram when we were kids.  The Elephant Show was regular viewing in our house back when it was on TV Ontario.  I recall when I was about 6 or 7, my parents went out for a Friday evening, probably dinner and some shopping, maybe a movie too.  When I got up on Saturday morning, there was a copy of Sharon, Lois, and Bram's album "One Elephant, Deux Elephants" placed by the stereo, all new in the plastic shrink wrap.  We were so amazed.  I think that record got played twice a day for the following week.  The bilingual album featured the title song, and Skinnamarink, the tune that became Sharon, Lois, and Bram's anthem.

Sharon, Lois, and Bram were not necessarily educational in the way Sesame Street was, but they taught children how to have fun and be creative.  Their songs were often literate adaptations of old folk songs or classical pieces.  The fact that three anglophones from Toronto would even bother recording a bilingual album for children also demonstrates their dedication to Canada.  Before I ever sat through a French class, I was singing the French verses of the songs and reading along with the words in the booklet that came with the album.

The legacy of Sharon, Lois, and Bram isn't going away.  The record still gets played for my niece and nephew when they visit Grandma and Grandpa's house.  My nephew's Kindergarten class also sings one of the songs from the album.  Lois Lilienstein will be missed, as will the entire trio of her, Lois, and Bram.  Their impact however on Canadian children's entertainment is undeniably positive and happily enduring.