Ruth Watson Henderson

Ruth Louise Watson Henderson (23 November 1932 – 9 June 2026) was a Canadian composer and pianist, best known for her choral music. She was the accompanist for the Festival Singers of Canada under Elmer Iseler for many years, where she developed her ear for composing mixed-choral works. Henderson also accompanied the Toronto Children's Chorus under Jean Ashworth Bartle from its inception in 1978 to 2007 and was music director for Kingsway-Lambton United Church in Toronto from 1996 to 2013. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, Watson Henderson's compositional output includes works for organ, piano, violin, trumpet, string orchestra, and more than 200 choral pieces.