Born in St. Catherines, Ontario,Canada, Mary Lynn Hetherington's music training started at a very early age. She started taking lessons at 4 with two world renown organists and pianists.Her organ instructor was the late Frank Olson and included instruction on the mighty theatre organ at the Riveria Theatre, in Tonawanda, New York. Her piano teacher was Dr. Dorothy Graham.When she was only 14 years old she started playing semi-professionally along with the Great Gospel Groups of the sixties and Seventies, opening hymn-sings at Klienhans Music Hall, Buffalo, and Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario. She played for pleasure and for the pleasure it brought to others: ( taking no credit for her talent, but accrediting it totally to God.) Seniors,Cancer patients,Gospel Hymnsings, Camps, Conferences, Conventions. etc. During her high school education, at Niagara Christian College, she met the love of her life, who she eventually married and spent 32 years with until God called him home in 1999, from Cancer.For many years, Mary Lynn sold Real Estate for Guaranty Trust and Royal Trust, then in 1985 felt the call to a profession in nursing. She was a local president for the Ontario Nurses Association for many years as well as the Huron County President for The Registered Nurses of Ontario. Before moving to Salt Spring Island in 2001, she was the President of the Friends of the Lucan Library and the Legistlative Representative for Region Two of the Ontario Nurses Association, advocating for 7000 nurses in her region and Queen's Park and the Legistlation at Parliment Hill in Ottawa.She is now living on Salt Spring Island, B.C. with the lovely legacy that her husband Orland left her, Brianne Tara Hetherington and is employed full-time as a registered nurse at Lady Minto Hospital.
The ongoing battle against a deadly cancer that claimed her husband has inspired Mary Lynn to record a Christmas Cd. "Come Let Us Adore Him " is a selection of 17 Traditional Christmas Carols and Hymns on Organ and Piano, accompanied on some selections by Salt Spring Island Legion Pipe Band, Devan Banman, and Donnie Mcdougall of The Guess Who.
It is dedicated to "the Glory of God"in memory of her husband,Orland, and includes Orland's favorites:"O Holy Night" and "The Little Drummer Boy", the strains of the pipes filling the air in "Amazing Grace,"-songs of Worship and Adoration to the King of Kings! And" How Great Thow Art" as sung by Elvis Presley,with whom Hetherington once played.-The arrangements are magnificent and powerful but have a graceful, whimsical and emotional overtone which lends them as appropriate listening to palliative patients as well as the general public. 100% of the proceeds will go to Cancer research.
Mary Lynn's hope for all who listen to the CD is that " The Love of Jesus kindles A Flame in the Hearts of Those Who Hear these songs, that Brightens their World, and beckons others to Come and Adore Him-Christ The Lord".