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Views from the Choir Loft

My Trip to Canada

Andrew Leung · July 26, 2018

CTL My Trip to Canada APPOLOGIZE for haven’t been posting for a few weeks. I was on a trip to Canada with my family. We stayed in Toronto for the most part, and we also visited Montreal and Quebec City as well. I must say, after being in Asia for two years, it’s nice to see some gorgeous churches built in the European style.

I had the opportunity to attend the weekly Solemn Mass at Holy Family Parish, where the Oratorian community of Toronto is located. The Mass was very well-attended and the choir sang beautifully! The professional singers of the parish sing weekly for the Solemn Mass and the Solemn Vespers. I was told that about 40 seminarians of the community would join the Vespers during the school year and I can imagine that must be quite a powerful experience for the parishioners.

I got to chat with Dr. Aaron James, the director of music, after Mass for a little bit and he told me about the history of the church and their pipe organ. The original Holy Family Church was built in 1902 and was destroyed by a fire in 1997. It was the rebuilt in 1999 and dedicated in 2001. Their organ, originally built for a residence, was given to the newly constructed church.

Another very special church I got to visit when I was in Toronto was the Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael. The interior of the cathedral is stunningly beautiful. Right across the street from the cathedral is the St. Michael’s Choir School. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to listen to their boys’ choir. The choir school was founded in 1937 by Monsignor John Edward Ronan. Boys and young men are trained in the art of music there and they play a prominent role in the cathedral’s music program. Here is a recording of the choir from 2016, and you can find more videos on their YouTube Channel.

If you ever get a chance, try to attend a Mass at the Toronto Oratory and the St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica! Finally, I leave you with some pictures of the churches I visited during the trip.

CTL Canadian Church 1 CTL Canadian Church 2 CTL Canadian Church 3 CTL Canadian Church 4 CTL Canadian Church 5 CTL Canadian Church 6 CTL Canadian Church 7 CTL Canadian Church 8 CTL Canadian Church 9
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

At papal Masses, the regulations against tardiness were more stringent than at Masses celebrated by cardinals or bishops. Giovanni Maria Nanino records that any singer who is not in his place—and in his vestments—by the end of the repetition of the “Introit” will be fined eight vinti. At papal Vespers, the singer who is not present at the “Gloria Patri” of the first psalm pays a fine of fifty balocchi.

— Giovanni M. Nanino (d. 1607), Papal “Maestro di Cappella”

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