The beginnings of Orchestra London Canada are unusual to
say the least. In 1936, a determined lady named Ruth Bricklin
was soon to be married to a young violinist named Bruce Sharpe.
Sharpe was the concertmaster for a group called The London
Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus which had just recently
disbanded. Inspired by a performance of the Washington Symphony,
Ms. Bricklin told Sharpe that if he didn’t organize
a proper symphony orchestra modeling the Washington Symphony
she would break off their engagement. Sharpe promptly founded
the London Promenade Orchestra and the rest is history.
Although the name has changed several times from The London
Civic Symphony to The London Symphony Orchestra to the present
day Orchestra London Canada, the vision has remained the same:
to be a community-driven orchestra providing music, music
education and programming of the highest quality to London
and the surrounding region of Southwestern Ontario. Early
on, it was apparent that if the orchestra was to survive it
would need the support of the community and the continuity
of an administration. In 1950, with a goodwill donation of
$500, the local Kiwanis Club spearheaded the formation of
a Board of Directors to help raise capital funds needed to
finance the orchestra’s expenditures. Nevertheless,
musicians had to bring their own chairs to the first rehearsal.
The same year also saw the formation of the Women’s
Committee which has since been instrumental in the promotion
of the orchestra as well as many creative fundraising activities.
The newly formed orchestra was comprised of mostly teachers,
business men and women, homemakers and students who played
music as a hobby. It was often difficult to have everyone
attend each rehearsal and performance. In 1974, encouraged
by a grant from the Richard and Jean Ivey Fund, plans were
made to hire thirty full-time musicians. Audition tapes and
letters poured in from all parts of the world. The resulting
group made the orchestra eligible for grants from the Canada
Council and was praised by music critic William Littler of
The Toronto Star as “an orchestra capable of serving
an entire region of the province.” In fact, the 1976/77
season marked their first contract with the CBC. In 1982,
the orchestra was invited to represent Canada at the International
Festival of Music and Architecture in L’Aquila, Italy.
Under the guidance, direction and creativity of these dynamic
conductors the orchestra has matured and developed artistically
over the years: Martin Boundy (1949-1969), Clifford Evens
(1969-1979), Victor Feldbrill (1979-81), Alexis Hauser (1981-88),
Uri Mayer (1988-94), Mark Laycock (1995-1998), Brian Jackson
(1999-2000), Simon Streatfeild (1999-2000), and Timothy Vernon
(2000 to the present). Orchestra London has been honoured
to share the stage with such renowned guest artists and conductors
as Jon Vickers, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Glenn Gould, Jessye
Norman, Maureen Forrester, Robert Goulet, Anton Kuerti, Shirley
Jones, Moe Koffman, Louis Lortie, James Ehnnes, Robert Silverman,
Mario Bernardi, Scott St. John, Gustav Meier, Diana Krall
and Jann Arden. For several performers Orchestra London provided
a platform to showcase their talents during the early stages
of their careers.
Throughout the years Orchestra London has not only been creative
in the musical idiom but also in its fundraising efforts.
Rebounding from a financial crisis in 1974 and again in 2000
the group’s fundraising activities have included a designer
showcase called “Interiors”, a live and silent
auction with entertainment called “Music Reigns”,
the “Loons for Tunes” campaign which raised $360,000
within a four month time period and the annual rummage sales
staged by the Women’s Committee. One such rummage sale
featured an auction of throw cushions with pieces of material
signed by famous celebrities. Phyllis Diller and Maureen Forrester
sent cushions they had made themselves and Elvis Presley’s
signature, which arrived a few weeks after his death, was
eventually sold for $300 to a man in Australia.
Within the last two years, Orchestra London has completed
two seasons with a balanced budget, successfully concluded
negotiations for a new four-year employment agreement with
its musicians, appointed its first ever Composer-In-Residence,
Jeff Christmas, and has seen a 23% increase in subscriptions
in the last year with 1300 new subscribers to date. Given
the many challenges faced by other Canadian orchestras Orchestra
London, is now clearly re-established as a leader among arts
organizations in Canada both artistically and financially.
Operating on an annual budget of $2.6 million dollars, Orchestra
London Canada takes pride in being able to bring music to
all members of the community and continues the tradition playing
a keyrole in the musical education of our youth. As conductor
Martin Boundy once said, “ if we do not raise our sights
and continue to raise them, we are not doing the thing we
set out to do for the city of London.”
Orchestra London’s musical programming is designed
to offer something for all members of our community. Orchestra
London produces over 80 concerts in its season. Masterworks
is our flagship classical series with an informal pre-concert
commentary. At the new Wolf
Family Auditorium, we offer Sinfonia,
an intimate evening of musical indulgence. Serenade
Brunch patrons have the opportunity to eat delicious food
and enjoy an afternoon concert. The
Pops! performs everything from Chopin to Gilbert and Sullivan.
Take Note is our exciting new series which offers a casual,
relaxed introduction to classical music for all ages. Red
Hot Weekends featuring the Jeans ‘n Classics Band
blends classic rock and a symphony orchestra together. For
our younger audience, we offer Pillow
Concerts, presented in cooperation with The
London Regional Children’s Museum, for children
aged 2 to 8. Our Backstage Pass Program allows high school
students to attend rehearsals and meet the musicians and conductor.
In addition, we perform a number of special concerts, including
an annual Opera in Concert, a variety of Christmas performances
and a wonderful Celtic evening.
Our goal and mandate as a member of the London community
and the Canadian music industry, is to undertake to support
and foster Canadian performing and creative musical talent.
Commencing February 1, 2021 Orchestra London appointed its
first ever Composer-In-Residence, Jeff
Christmas. Winner of the Millican Endowed Scholarship
Award for his composition Blue Nostalgia, Jeff and his original
compositions are in demand internationally, and his commissions
include works for Guido Basso, Erik Schultz, The Inter-Provincial
Music Camp and the Opening Ceremonies of the "2001 Canada
Games". He has studied at York University, the University
of Western Ontario and more recently Berklee College of Music,
Boston where he majored in Film Scoring and Composition. During
his residency with us, Jeff will be composer, conductor and
arranger to the orchestra. His responsibilities will include
conducting community and education concerts, composing instrument
demos for the 2002/2003 education concerts and laying the
ground work for the High School Composer’s Competition.
The Composer-in-Residence Program has received financial support
from the Canada Council. In addition, Orchestra London recently
received a grant from The Laidlaw Foundation for the commissioning
of a full length English Horn Concerto by Jeff to be performed
in our 2003/04 Season.
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