“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”  – Plato

Friends of Music was launched in 2023 as a community outreach ministry of St. Thomas’s, designed to build meaningful connections with the community around us through music. The program includes a children/youth singing program and free music education through the St. Thomas’s Choristers; a community recital series; and community volunteer engagement.

Music has inspired and enriched so many of us – spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually – throughout our lives. We are excited about this initiative and invite your financial support for Friends of Music, a bold new step in growing the musical life of our parish and community.

St. Thomas’s has many musical strengths – a history of musical excellence, talented professional musicians and volunteers, centrally located facilities, and connections with many artistic and educational partners.

Under the leadership of Organist and Choirmaster Elizabeth Anderson, Assistant Organist and Choirmaster Manuel Piazza (you will find their bios here), the Rector, and a Friends of Music volunteer committee, we have implemented new music programs, including:

The St. Thomas’s Choristers
We created this program for girls and boys aged 7-17 to provide the opportunity to perform sacred music in the Anglican choral tradition during Sung Mass (9:30 a.m.) on Sundays. The St. Thomas’s Choristers learn ensemble singing, music theory, sight-reading, and vocal production from trained professionals. Read more on this page.

Community Recitals and Lectures
We have launched a regular series of recitals and lectures for the community. The series showcases the talents of our many artistic partners. Our first events took place in February and March 2024. See below for the next program in the series.

Volunteer Engagement
Volunteers from within and outside the parish work with staff to help market and produce the recitals and lectures, support the St. Thomas’s Choristers, and deliver music education.

Why This Initiative Now?
As a teaching- and learning-oriented parish located in the Huron-Sussex neighbourhood on the edge of the University of Toronto campus, this program is well suited to our mission and strengths and will add value to our community. Our parish hall and beautiful Arts and Crafts church provide excellent facilities and acoustics for rehearsals and performances.

Choral training is a gateway to learning and development. Research has documented the physical, psychological, social, musical, and educational benefits for children engaged in choral singing. (See, for example, this article on the benefits of singing for children.)

Opportunities for music education in the public education system have been greatly reduced. The number of Ontario elementary schools with full- or part-time music teachers has steadily declined in recent years according to a report compiled by People for Education.

Your Support Is Appreciated!
If you would like to donate to support Friends of Music at St. Thomas’s, please use the form on this page.

Your gift supports the costs of:
• A full-time Assistant Director of Music position to lead this program.
• Program operations such as the purchase of music and educational materials, marketing and promotion, and concert production.
• A free music program to children and their families who might otherwise not have access.

There will also be opportunities for interested and qualified volunteers to support music education and community concert production.  Please contact us if you would like to help with this program.

How to Give
You can give online or by mail.

• Online
  Simply complete the form on this page.

• By Mail
  Send a cheque payable to St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, 383 Huron Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2G5. Please note Friends of Music on the memo line.

All gifts are eligible for tax receipts. Our charitable organization number is 11920 2984 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued early in the new year for tax purposes.

For further information about the Friends of Music at St. Thomas’s campaign please contact: Fr. Nathan Humphrey, Rector, frhumphrey@stthomas.on.ca, or Michael Rowland, Chair of Stewardship, michael57rowland@gmail.com.