Ms Wilson, who led her final end of semester Prep School concert on the weekend, said the School had been like a home since she began in 1984. The music teacher said she had watched the department grow from two small choirs and an orchestra to the highly successful and talented Music School of today. “When I began the department was housed in two rooms under the Chapel,” she said. “Roy Rimmer really grew the department – establishing scholarships and attracting talented boys to the programme.”

In 1989, Ms Wilson established The Yahoos, a select choir comprising Year 6s and 7s, for which she remains very proud. “I like to think I instilled excellence in the boys through lots of rehearsing.” Taking on a day’s teaching load in the Senior School from 2001, gave her an opportunity to see how her Prep School boys had progressed in their musical journey. Ms Wilson, who fell in love with music and learned the piano at a young age, is also the president of the Carl Orff Society in WA. She has employed the methodology of the Orff teaching style during her time at Christ Church to which the boys have responded “fantastically”.

Prep School Headmaster Clark Wight said Ms Wilson had made it “cool to be in the choir or band”. Mr Wight said she was always the first to put her hand up and take a fresh look at things. She was responsible for turning the Evening of the Arts into the highly popular Week of the Arts.

Senior School music teacher Gillian Croston, who has worked with Ms Wilson over a number of years, described her colleague as highly organised, versatile and multi-skilled. “In the Prep School, Ms Wilson has everyone singing,” Mrs Croston said. “It has been fantastic for her to watch some of the boys right the way through.”

While she is retiring from full-time work at Christ Church, she will continue in her role with the society, which includes teaching courses to at Notre Dame University. She will also be helping out in St Hilda’s Music Department in Term 3.