Music In The Community

St. George’s is an excellent location for the many recitals held here each year, with its good acoustics, large seating capacity, Steinway grand piano, and Hill Norman and Beard/Casavant pipe organ.

Several local music teachers use St. George’s as a venue to hold recitals of their music students. As well, groups such as the Winnipeg Girl’s Choir hold recitals here.

St. George’s is also the home of the annual St. David’s Society “Gmanf Gannu”, held every March 1.

Winnipeg Music Festival Participation and Awards

Every March, a number of youth from the parish take part in the annual Winnipeg Music Festival. Many of our young talent have gone on to win and compete in the highest levels of the festival.

STEWART M. THOMSON TROPHY

The Stewart M. Thomson trophy was donated to the Winnipeg Music Festival in 2004 by members of his family. This trophy is awarded for the most outstanding performance in Boys Vocal classes, 10 years of age and under.

Stewart Thomson was born into a musical Winnipeg family in 1930. At the age of 12, he began accompanying his father, W. Davidson Thomson, in recitals and concerts. In 1951, with the encouragement of Richard W. Cooke, (his future father-in-law), he assumed the position of Organist at St. James Anglican Church. In 1954, he became Deputy Organist of St. George’s Anglican Church, Crescentwood, directed by his predecessor Donald Leggat, whom he succeeded as Organist and Choirmaster on January 1, 1956. Stewart was organist and choirmaster for 50 years until June 2005.

Stewart Thomson developed and maintained a tradition of choral excellence with St. George’s Anglican Men and Boy’s Choir, the last of its kind in Western Canada. In training the boy’s (treble) voice over the years, he developed hundreds of singers many of whom have become trophy winners and accomplished musicians in their own right.

Stewart Thomson died on October 27, 2008 and a service celebrating his life and accomplishments was held on Monday, November 3, 2008 at St. George’s.

Outside Parish – Travels to other Parishes

In the past, St. George’s choir has traveled to other parishes to sing services. Trips have been made to numerous parishes including but not limited to: St. Matthew’s Cathedral, (Brandon, Mb.); St. Paul’s Cathedral (Thunder Bay, Ont.); and St. Paul’s Anglican Church (Dauphin, Mb.).  A choir trip to sing in Lincoln Cathedral is planned for August 2011, where we will sing the daily services for one week.

Choir Camp

Members of the treble section have participated in Montreal summer music camps of the Royal School of Church Music. Such training and fellowship have proved to be invaluable to St. George’s trebles over the years

Participation in Music in the Community

Boys and girls from St. George’s have participated in children’s choruses in many productions of the Manitoba Opera Association, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. These productions have included Carmen, La Boheme, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Britten’s War Requiem, Cavalleria Rusticana, and I Pagliacci.

Recitals

St. George’s is the perfect location for many recitals held here each year, with its good acoustics, large seating capacity and Steinway grand piano.