When did Portia start singing?

Portia was only six years old when she sang in the choir at the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church. However, Portia was in her thirties when she became famous.

After she graduated from high school, where did Portia go?

Portia took teaching at Dalhousie University. She taught at Lucasville School in Halifax County. She was paid $30 a month.

Did Portia get any formal musical training?

Portia went to the Halifax Conservatory. The lessons were expensive. They cost $3.50 per hour. The provincial and municipal government helped fund her training.

What kind of songs did Portia sing?

She sang spiritual and classical music, folk songs, and ballads.

Where did Portia sing?

She sang throughout North and Central America. In 1941, Portia sang at the Eaton Auditorium in Toronto. She made appearances in Canada for the next couple of years before going to New York on March 19, 1944 to sing at Town Hall. Portia then got a contract with Columbia Concerts Incorporated of New York. This was just before the war. Columbia Concerts Incorporated was the largest agency in North America at that time.