Bach Walk 2018

This year marked the fourth Bach Walk. I'm happy to say I've attended three of them (one was missed because the TWMVC had a concert the same day), and this one was downtown. Nice and easy for a downtown resident like me to get to!

If I haven't mentioned it in previous postings, the afternoon starts at 1 pm, and there are three short recitals (usually about 30 minutes), on the hour, at three locations within easy walking distance of each other. So the afternoon usually goes to about 4 pm, since the crowd is invited for a piece of birthday cake - and a bit of socializing - at the last venue.

This year, the concerts began in the lovely, 1870s-era Church of the Redeemer, at Bloor W. and Avenue Road. As you may imagine, it was once the tallest building on this corner, but hasn't been for, er, some time.

I went on a date at a restaurant in the area in 1976 (long since gone, I expect), and this was the dominant building on this corner then.

As usual, I got a picture of the organ that was going to be played for this recital.
NOT to my surprise, it was a Freres Casavant model. I mentioned to the soloist, Daniel Norman, how ubiquitous the Casavant organs were in Toronto, and his reply was very common-sense: "Whatever will stand up to these winters!" The Casavants use kiln-dried lumber, which works much better in the  dry Canadian winter conditions.

The organ was rebuilt in 2006, and upgraded to include a computer-controlled console in 2015, but it's still the same instrument they installed in 1904!

As Mr. Norman played two organ pieces, I could look around and appreciate the building we were in. This triptych of stained glass over the altar is gorgeous, depicting scenes from the life of Christ.

I was also struck by the ingenuity of the builders, the way they used simple red and yellow bricks to form attractive patterns on the walls and over the windows...

...and even continued the patterns with the tiling on the floors.
As you can imagine, the sound in the church is awesome.

Next, it was off to Trinity College Chapel, on the University of Toronto campus. I have been here several times, mostly to the annual book sale they hold in the main hall...

Yeah, it was a beautiful, sunny day, but cold - below freezing. Those gloves I mentioned last time certainly came in handy for photos!

...but also, recently (the prior week, in fact), to a concert by a small group of young musicians, the Cor Unum Ensemble, who performed a concert of Baroque music in this very place.
It's a lovely (if modest) neo-Gothic chapel, and opened fairly recently, in 1955.

All the stone makes for fantastic acoustics here, too.

Here's a closer look at the central stained-glass window - again, modest, but still colourful and striking.

The organ and choir loft are situated to the rear, and second level, of the chapel, and I was allowed to take a quick pic of the organ, It's another Casavant, also modest in proportion, and renovated over the years (including computerization), partly by the gentleman you see here, the organist, John Tuttle.

The chapel's policy is to not allow photos to be taken of performers as they play, so this is the picture I got of the chamber organ, or continuo, that was played by Mr. Tuttle for the second piece. It was a  flute sonata, transcribed for alto recorder by the recorder player - and the chapel's chaplain - Rev. Andrea Budgey. A very charming piece it was, too!

As you can see at right, the organ is electrified.

The last stop was St. Thomas's Anglican Church on Huron St., a bit south of Bloor. It dates originally from 1893, but has had some renovations since then.

It's also modest but lovely inside, with dark wooden roof beams.
The striking reredos over the altar portrays nine different saints. The tile floor here was installed in the later 20th century, and it certainly enhances the acoustics.
This is another place I've been to several times, to see the early music ensemble Sine Nomine.

The stained glass windows here were very striking, too, and the bright sunshine of the day really brought out the colours.
At the south transept, dating from 1906, is a triple lancet window depicting the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, watched by the Apostles...

...and at the north transept, from 1905 and 1906, another triple lancet window shows Christ in the middle, St. Peter at left, and St. Thomas at right.

And, another impressive organ, this one by Guilbault-Therien, is in one corner of the choir.
It was installed in 1991, and almost all of its pipes are in one chamber across the aisle from the organ. So, its sound doesn't seem to "surround" the listener, as in so many other churches, but it's still extremely effective.

And, that was the day. The crowd retired to the parish hall afterward for cake and punch, and an opportunity to chat.

As always, I enjoyed this opportunity to hear more of Bach's music, and to mark his 333rd birthday. He was so unbelievably prolific that no doubt one could go many years exploring his output. That's why I do this every year - that, and the chance to explore the many great venues Toronto has for music.
I'm curious where the Bach Walk will be held next year, and eagerly look forward to participating.