Royal Canadian College of Organists-London Centre

If you know a young Canadian musician who might be interest in applying for the position of Shipman Organ Scholar at Metropolitan United Church, London, ON for the coming academic year please have them get in touch. The position is designed to immerse a young pianist or organist in the running of one of Canada’s finest church music programs. The bursary covers the cost of one year of University tuition. Application packages will be available at the end of February, with auditions taking place in late March. For more information on the music program at Met, please see the link below.
Music-at-Met.org

Is so happy with the new Metropolitan United Church Choir School promotional video! I hope you will watch it and share it with others!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siu7Gv-cdE8

The Metropolitan United Church Choir School, London, Ontario This video tells about the work of the Metropolitan United Church Choir School, located at Metropolitan United Church in London, ON. The choir is under the d...

Today we remember conductor and composer Erno Rapee, who died this day in 1945. While not an organist, Rapee's 1924 collection, "Motion Picture Moods for Pianists and Organists" was one of the most important tools of it's day for theatre organists and pianists.

Rapée was born in Budapest, Hungary, where he studied as a pianist and later conductor at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music. Later, he was assistant conductor to Ernst von Schuch in Dresden. As a composer, his first piano concerto was played by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Vienna, and after a tour of America as a guest conductor, began performing at the Rialto Theater in New York as assistant to Hugo Riesenfeld, where he began composing and conducting for silent films.

Following positions at the Rialto and Rivoli theaters, he was hired by Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel as the musical director of the Capitol Theatre's 77-member orchestra in New York. It was at the Capitol that Rapée made his most famous classical arrangement of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 13. While at the Capitol, he pioneered orchestral radio broadcasts over station WEAF as part of the Roxy's Gang programs. He also engaged Eugene Ormandy as the Capitol's concertmaster and assistant conductor. The Capitol orchestra made a number of commercial recordings under Rapée's direction in 1923-24 for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.

Rapée's next move was to Philadelphia, where he conducted an orchestra of 68 at the Fox Theatre. Percy Grainger was one of his guest artists during this engagement. After his tenure at the Fox, Rapée went on to international success in Berlin with an orchestra of 85 at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo. While there he was invited to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert. Later he appeared as conductor of the Budapest Philharmonic and other European orchestras.

In 1926, he returned to America after notable European successes. He began an engagement at the Roxy Theatre in New York, opening the theater in March 1927, as music director of its 110-player Roxy Symphony Orchestra. (At the time this was world's largest permanent orchestra, outnumbering the New York Philharmonic by three musicians). Millions of listeners heard his symphonic concerts over the air on Sunday afternoon during The Roxy Hour radio broadcasts, and he also conducted for the General Motors Concerts.

Finally, in 1932, Rapée reached the apex of his career as the musical director and head conductor of the symphony orchestra at Roxy Rothafel's new Radio City Music Hall, a position Rapée held until his death in New York City, New York, from a heart attack on June 26, 1945.

Collaborating with Dr. William Axt, Rapée co-wrote an eminent collection of photoplay music, which included a series of three Agitatos, Appassionato No. 1, Debutante, Frozen North, Screening Preludes 1 and 2 and Tender Memories. Other pieces written solo included The Clown's Carnival and Pollywog's Frolic.

In 1926, Rapée collaborated with composer Lew Pollack on "Charmaine" for the film, What Price Glory? (1926), "Diane", for the Fox Film production, Seventh Heaven (1927), and "Marion" for the Fox production 4 Devils (1928). Rapée and Pollack's songs were covered by Mantovani, Frank Sinatra, Jim Reeves and numerous other artists, including 1960s hits for the Irish M-O-R group The Bachelors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9gyDEoyu_c

78 rpm HIT OF THE WEEK RECORD Erno Rapee Ida Ida Erno Rapee's Orchestra

Event: MUSIC@MET
Music@Met announces its 2012-2013 season. Mark your calendars now for our most exciting season yet!
Time: All concerts begin at 3:00 PM, unless otherwise noted.
Place: Metropolitan United Church Sanctuary
Contact: Gregg Redner
Details: [email protected]

Dr. John Scott October 28, 2012
Organist, St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, NYC
Choral Evensong November 18, 2012
Sung by Metropolitan’s Senior Choir
RCCO Lessons and Carols (7:30 PM) December 2, 2012
Featuring the Salvation Army Band
A Service of Light January 20, 2013
Lessons and Carols for the season of Epiphany
Dr. Gregg Redner March 17, 2013
Organist, Metropolitan United Church
David Baskeyfield April 14, 2013
One of England’s finest young organists and winner of
the St. Albans International Organ Competition
8th Annual MAMA Gala May 4, 2013
Our annual Metropolitan Alumni Musicians’ Association gathering
Guest Speaker: Daniel Roth
Daniel Roth May 5, 2013
Titular Organist of the Church of St. Sulpice, Paris, France

The Raleigh Ringers (8:00 PM) May 23, 2013
America’s premiere handbell ensemble makes their Canadian premiere
Presents as part of the 2013 Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers Conference.

Just a reminder that the remarkable David Briggs, Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral, UK and recently appointed Artist-in-Residence at St. James Cathedral, Toronto will be performing this Sunday, May 6th at 3 PM at Metropolitan United Church. Mr. Briggs program will include works by Bach, Elgar, Walton, Mahler and Messiaen and he will also improvise a four movement symphony based on themes submitted from the audience! Tickets are available at the door for a suggested donation of $15. See you there!

Music@Met presents David Briggs in Recital – Sunday, May 6th at 3 o’clock pm. Suggested donation $15

Metropolitan United Church, London, Ontario Canada

David Briggs is an internationally renowned organist whose performances are acclaimed for their musicality, virtuosity, and ability to excite and engage audiences of all ages. With an extensive repertoire spanning five centuries, he is increasingly known for his brilliant organ transcriptions of symphonic music by composers such as Mahler, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Bruckner, Ravel, and Bach. Fascinated by the art of Improvisation since a child, David also frequently performs improvisations to silent films such as Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Nosferatu, Jeanne d’Arc, Metropolis, as well as a variety of Charlie Chaplin films.

At the age of 17, David obtained his FRCO (Fellow of the Royal College of Organists) diploma, winning all the prizes and the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. From 1981-84 he was the Organ Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge University, during which time he studied organ with Jean Langlais in Paris. The first British winner of the Tournemire Prize at the St Albans International Improvisation Competition, he also won the first prize in the International Improvisation Competition at Paisley. Subsequently David held positions at Hereford, Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals.

David’s schedule includes more than 60 concerts a year, spanning several continents. Deeply committed to making organ music vibrant for future generations, he enjoys giving pre-concert lectures designed to make organ music more accessible to audiences. In addition, he teaches at Cambridge (UK), frequently serves on international organ competition juries, and gives masterclasses at colleges and conservatories across the U.S. and Europe.

Just a reminder that the annual Music Gala at Metropolitan Church takes place this Sunday, April 22nd at 3 PM. Here is your chance to hear the entirety of the vast music program of Metropolitan all in one concert. There is no admission charge, but a free-will offering will be received.

A Service of Lessons and Carols
For Passiontide
with
The Choir of Metropolitan Church

Sunday, March 18th, 2012 at 3 PM
The Reverend Dr. Jeffrey P. Crittenden - Senior Minister
The Reverend Herbert Summers - Minister of Pastoral Care
Dr. Gregg Redner, AAGO, ChM - Director of Music

Metropolitan United Church
468 Wellington Street
London, ON N6A 3P8

If you are free this Friday evening, February 24th at 7:30,

MUSIC AT FIRST-ST. ANDREW’S
presents
AARON JAMES, ORGAN

Hear the winner of the 2011 Royal Canadian College
Of Organists National Organ Competition
Graduate of UWO, now at Eastman School of Music
FREEWILL OFFERING

if you are free this Thursday at 12.15 and in Toronto, please plan to come to my recital at Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E. The program includes music of Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Rorem, Ravel and Gade! Admission is free!

Just a reminder to everyone that the next concert in the Music@Met series will take place tomorrow evening, Saturday February 11 at 7 PM when Soprano Irena Welhasch Baerg and friends will present a program of 'Operatic Poems, Prayers and Love Songs'. Suggested donation is $15 at the door!

The website for the 2012 RCCO Conference to take place this July in Saint John, NB is now on line! Check it out!!

RCCO Saint John Centre The Saint John Centre of the RCCO has been active since the early 1950′s and can boast that we currently have the grandson of one of the founding members of this center!