Choir

Several years ago, various congregation members identified individual hymns which they loved but felt the lyrics needed to be changed, and, as a result, two booklets of “inclusivized” hymn texts were written by our Music Director, Bev Lewis. Here is a sampling from those volumes.

These are two very traditional hymns, particular favourites of some of the older congregation members, which were re-worded so that we could sing the familiar tune without using the original militaristic language. The first is to the same tune as Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord (tune: Vision). 

In our work and through our worship, at our meals and in our play, We will join our hands together, going forth as one today, All God’s children are connected: no more “we” and no more “they”! We feel the love of God. The second is to the same tune as Onward, Christian Soldiers (tune: St. Gertrude).

A unique feature of Bathurst is that we have built a small repertoire of two-, three- and four-part rounds that the congregation sometimes sings in services, such as Dona Nobis Pacem, By the Waters of Babylon, Shalom Chaverim, O Give Thanks Unto the Lord, Holy Spirit, Fill Me and Come, Shekinah, Come. Sometimes, the music we sing during worship services at Bathurst emerges out of our congregational life together.

Holy Spirit, Fill Me is based on a round that a visitor taught us many years ago at one of our weekend retreats. Our minister at the time, Frances Combs, loved the melody but not the original words, so she wrote the words we use. Cheryl Curtis, who was on a student placement with Bathurst at the time (from the Centre for Christian Studies), suggested we use the song as a call to prayer. Come, Shekinah, Come is a three-part round that was composed by a Bathurst member, Shirley Endicott Small, in the early 1990s.

We also occasionally sing action songs and we sometimes even break out the rhythm band instruments and drums for our more lively songs, so that everyone can make a joyful noise! Bathurst service music is often drawn from various cultures. We love to sing African songs such as Thuma Mina and Siyahamba.  We also sometimes sing music from other faith traditions as well as secular music

Even though the choir is not auditioned, the dedicated singers are able to perform challenging four-part SATB compositions (often with divisi) and have maintained a fairly high level of choral competency over the years. The choir leads the annual Carol Service every December. Members sing or have sung in many outside choirs including Annex Singers, Canadian Opera Children’s Chorus, Jubilate Singers, North Toronto Women’s Chamber Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and VOCA Choir (formerly East York Choir).

When the choir is preparing to sing in an upcoming service, rehearsals take place on Sunday afternoons 1:00-2:00 pm in the chapel, after the congregational refreshment time and discussion. Rehearsals are informal and usually full of laughter. If sight-reading music is an issue for anyone…..not a problem! Everyone is always happy to go over individual lines of music if needed. If you are interested in singing with us, please contact Bev Lewis at 416-921-4967.

We also have a number of instrumentalists who are members of the choir or congregation who play for us occasionally. For many years, our principal flautist for the Carol Service has been the very talented Cathy Combs. We formed a small recorder consort in 2010 and, in recent years, we have regularly had members of the choir and/or church playing instruments at the Carol Service including: violin, cello, flutes, English horn, clarinet, guitars, ukulele and even tin whistle!

Bathurst United Church acquired a brand new Boston Studio piano (made by Steinway) in 2010 which has greatly enhanced music at Bathurst.

Our Music Director is Beverly Lewis. She has been with us, off and on, since the early 1980s. Bev holds B. Mus. and B. Ed. degrees from Mount Allison University. She plays chamber music on a regular basis with oboist Donald Boere. Bev is also a published composer (Alfred Music & Oceanna Music) of vocal, woodwind, choral & piano music. Her compositions have been performed in Canada, the US, England, France, Sweden, Austria and Italy.

In 2006, her oboe piece, He Sits, Spinning, was broadcast on CBC Radio. Bev has won several awards (Amadeus Choir Carol competition & Toronto Arts Council) and her pieces have been recorded by various musicians. She currently teaches piano at the University Settlement Music and Arts School and is a freelance accompanist. She is also the Supervisor of Examinations for the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto.