Ottawa Chamber Music Society

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	The Church of St. John the Evangelist 154 Somerset Street (at Elgin)		Rideau Hall 1 Sussex Drive
	St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 82 Kent Street (at Wellington)		McLeod-Stewarton United Church 507 Bank Street (at Argyle)
	Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa 550 Cumberland Street (at Wilbrod)		St. Giles' Presbyterian Church 174 First Avenue (at Bank)
	Christ Church Cathedral 420 Sparks Street (at Bronson)		Glebe-St.James' United Church 650 Lyon Street (at First)
	St. Matthew's Anglican Church 130 Glebe Ave. (at Bank)		Dominion-Chalmers United Church 355 Cooper Street
	First Baptist Church * 140 Laurier West (at Elgin)		National Gallery of Canada 380 Sussex Drive
	St. James Church, Hull * 60 rue du Portage		Glebe Community Centre 690 Lyon Street (at Second)
	All Saints' Church * 317 Chapel Avenue (at Laurier)		CBC Radio - Studio Sparks 181 Queen Street (at O'Connor)

* Patrons needing special seating assistance should notify our volunteer staff upon arrival.

St. John's has been an active parish in the community for over a century. In 1889 a small group from St. George's Church commissioned architect J. Hames to construct a church at the corner of Elgin and Somerset. The cornerstone was laid in 1890. Five months later the building was completed and consecrated as Grace Church. In 1912, after a fire destroyed St. John's on Sussex Drive, St. John's and Grace Church joined to form the Church of St. John the Evangelist. The interior of the building is unique, being constructed entirely of wood. The sombre interior accentuates the beauty of the many stained glass windows, each of which were donated by members of St. John's congregation. Today, St. John's remains an active part of the Centretown community, hosting meetings, artistic gatherings and a variety of chamber music concerts.

St. Andrew's, situated on the corner of Kent and Wellington streets, has been a distinguished feature of the heart of the National Capital's ceremonial area. The original church of 1828 was built for a Protestant congregation by Lt. Colonel By's stone masons who were brought from Scotland to build the Rideau Canal. It was replaced in 1872 by the larger Neo-Gothic structure that exists today. Some of the many colourful stained glass windows were designed by Eleanor Milne who also designed the stained glass windows in the Senate chambers and the House of Commons. St. Andrew's has always actively participated in downtown Ottawa community events as well as in many national events. To commemorate Canada's 125th birthday the Lobed Windows over the Wellington Street entrance were installed. Over the years St. Andrew's has boasted many illustrious parishioners, including Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, whose daughter Margriet was baptized there. St. Andrew's remains an active host to many different musical events including regular performances by Thirteen Strings.

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The Chapel of Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland Street (at Wilbrod)

Tabaret Hall was named for Joseph-Henri Tabaret, founder of the University of Ottawa. In 1853 he started out as principal of the College of Bytown and became rector of the University of Ottawa after the College gained University status in 1866. After a fire destroyed the original College building in 1903, the University of Ottawa commissioned A. O. von Herbulis to build the present day Tabaret Hall. Von Herbulis, already well established as a gifted architect for his work on several American universities, drew inspiration from the Capitol in Washington. The Neo-Classical building was completed the following year but has since had several additions. The final addition of the north wing, which houses the elegant Chapel, was completed in 1931. The Chapel, known for its fine acoustics, has been the University's primary music hall.

In 1832, Nicholas Sparks donated the Bytown site of the first Christ Church to those of the faith of the Church of England. The congregation was formally organized in 1833, and the first service took place on July 21st of that year. By 1841, due to the rapid growth of Bytown, it was recognized that the small church could not adequately meet the needs of the growing congregation. By 1843, enlargements were completed, the church was consecrated and given its name - Christ Church. In 1872 it was decided that a new church be constructed on the site of the old church, and a cornerstone was laid with a time capsule containing artifacts and monetary denominations. In 1897, it was formally announced that Christ Church would become the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Ottawa. The completion of the new chancel in 1932 marked 100 years since the establishment of the first church in Bytown.

Last year St. Matthew's celebrated its centennial year of serving the Glebe community. The original church of 1889 was a wooden structure of gothic-style architecture, designed by John Watts who later designed mansions for leading Ottawa citizens, including lumber baron J.R. Booth. The church provided seats for 260 parishioners and Sunday school classes in the basement. By the 1920's, the decision was made to erect a new church to accommodate the growing congregation. Despite complications caused by the stock market crash of 1929, the new church was complete in time for Christmas of 1930. The present structure is an English Gothic-style building made of limestone, designed to hold 1200 parishioners and a choir of 60. St. Mathew's is characterised by its strong tradition of choral music, which began in the 1950's with the men's and boys' choir, backed by a 2,770-pipe organ. The choir, which now includes a women's and girls' choir, includes pieces by Handel, Bach, Haydn and contemporary composers in their repertoire.

The First Baptist Church, as the name suggests, was the first organized Baptist church to be built in Ottawa. The Church first gathered in 1857 in a private home with a small congregation of only six women and three men. The first church was built on Queen Street in 1863 but was quickly outgrown. To accommodate the larger congregation, a new church was constructed on the corner of Elgin Street and Maria Street (now Laurier Avenue). The corner-stone was laid in 1877 by Prime Minister Alexander MacKenzie. The building was completed the next year. The silver trowel presented to Prime Minister MacKenzie at the laying of the corner-stone was later donated to the church by MacKenzie's grandson and is now mounted in the church. The colourful stained glass windows are fine examples of nineteenth century art and craftsmanship embodying designs and techniques that go back hundreds of years. Today, First Baptist helps out the community by offering food vouchers and giving assistance to one of Ottawa's food banks as well as providing a meeting place for the elderly.

The first regular church building to be erected in the Hull/Ottawa area was St. James Church, Hull, which was built on what is now the corner of Wellington and Leduc Streets. Construction took place from 1823 to 1824, and the church was dedicated in 1830. The church was twice destroyed by fire, the second time by the great fire of 1900 that devastated major areas of Hull and Ottawa. The last rebuilding was completed in 1901. Since that time, various articles have been donated to the church, the first being the Altar and panelled Reredos, heavily carved in ash.

All Saints was the dream and creation of Sir Henry Newell Bate, the owner of a nineteenth-century wholesale grocery business and Chairman of the Ottawa Improvement Commission. The building, completed in February 1900, is Gothic in style, with three-foot limestone walls and heavy buttresses supporting inside arches. The bell tower houses an unusual carillon of nine bells, cast by Mears and Stainbank. Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden worshipped there and the church has a stained glass window dedicated to his memory. Today the parish plays an active role in the Sandy Hill community. It runs a shelter for homeless women and started up the now-independent Hospice of All Saints

Rideau Hall has been the official residence of the Governor General since before confederation. It was built in 1832 by its original owner Thomas MacKay, a stonemason and contractor who also built the entrance to the locks on the Rideau Canal. The stately building is set on an expansive 88 acres which include magnificent gardens and a wide assortment of trees planted by each Governor General at the start of his or her term and by official guests of Rideau Hall. This ceremonial tree planting tradition began in 1906. Since then, a total of 83 ceremonial trees have been planted by such distinguished guests as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as many heads of state from around the world. On each tree, a plaque indicates the type of tree, the name of the illustrious planter and the date it was planted.

McLeod-Stewarton United Church is an amalgamation of Stewarton United (formerly Presbyterian) and McLeod Street United (formerly Methodist). The congregation was formed in 1888, and the present building was constructed in 1907. Its architecture is Gothic in style, and was built with Canadian limestone by the Scottish stonemasons brought to Canada to work on the Parliament Buildings. The congregation has always supported a tradition of superb music and hosted the National Sunday Evening Hour in the 1950s. The late Bernice Oak, an Ontario adjudicator and the head of the music department at the Ottawa Board of Education, was a strong supporter of music in the church and played a large role in the restoration of the organ. Today, McLeod-Stewarton enjoys a fine choir led by four soloists and a concert series of diverse music. It is also recognized as an active participant in the community for its outreach programmes through Centre 507 (a drop-in centre for the homeless) and a food bank.

The congregation of St. Giles was formed in 1925 and Governor General Viscount Willington opened the building on May 5th, 1929. In the early years immigrants to Canada from Scotland formed the backbone of the church. The tradition of welcome to newcomers has continued. People from many different backgrounds feel at home in the friendly caring and inclusive Christian community. As people of God we are involved in many outreach projects - locally, through the Centertown Churches Social Action Committee - internationally, through Presbyterian Church of Canada. We are twinned with the Chirimba Presbyterian church in Malawi, Africa. On June 22nd this year we held a giant bake/deli sale and raised $3,400 to enable AIDS-Orphaned families in Malawi become self-supporting. St. Giles Church is happy to participate in the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. We welcome all people in this sanctuary.

Glebe-St. James United Church is located on part of the 1837 Crown grant of 178 acres to the clergymen of the Church of Scotland (“glebe” means land reserved for the clergy). The Glebe trustees of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church were responsible for this land. In 1894, the congregation of St. Andrew’s authorized a Glebe mission that started in 1895 with a Sunday school on Third Avenue. By 1905 the present building, designed by John Watts, was occupied; St. Andrew’s provided the site and half of the construction funds. The Casavant organ was installed in 1929. St. James Church also began with a Sunday school, held in 1908 and 1909 in Moreland’s Hall on Bank Street near Fifth Avenue. That church’s next home is now the Glebe Community Centre. In 1971, the congregations of Glebe Church and St. James Church united. Furnishings and memorials from St. James can be found in the sanctuary.

Dominion Chalmers United Church traces its origins to the early 19th century in the fledgling community then known as Bytown. The cornerstone of the current building, originally constructed as Chalmers Presbyterian Church, was laid in 1912. Montreal architect Alex C. Hutchison’s design was said to reflect the Romanesque architecture of southern France. The sanctuary’s ceiling line is highlighted by capped columns, stained glass windows and grand arches that provide a vaulted effect to the central hexagonal roof dome. Recent renovations have updated the building while respecting its historic significance and classic design. The magnificent 5,157-pipe Casavant organ, installed in the Byzantine sanctuary in 1965, is also often heard on CBC broadcasts. While looking forward to a promising future, the congregation also takes pride in the church’s history, honouring the generations that worshipped and worked together in a spirit of caring and sharing.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2005, the National Gallery of Canada is located on one of the most spectacular sites in Ottawa, near Ottawa’s historic ByWard Market, overlooking the Ottawa River and the Parliament Buildings. Its award-winning architecture, featuring the luminous Great Hall, spacious galleries, and interior gardens and courtyards, is in itself worth a visit. The National Gallery is the permanent home of the world’s most comprehensive collection of Canadian art, including Inuit art, making it the country’s finest art museum. Its European and modern American collections are considered among the best in the country. In the permanent collection are masterpieces by such artists as the Group of Seven, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Emily Carr, Alex Colville, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, etc.

The Glebe Community Centre, formerly St. James United Church, is located in the heart of Ottawa’s Glebe. Construction of the church began in 1913 but due to problems resulting from World War I, the building was not completed until 1924. The term glebe refers to a large tract of land deeded by the Crown as a trust for the clergy of the Church. The Community Centre has been actively serving the community since 1974, offering recreational and cultural events, as well as a variety of educational activities and a place for community meetings. The impressive domed Eileen Scotton Hall is noted for its acoustics and appreciated by musicians and music lovers alike. The Glebe Community Centre has been designated as a Heritage Building by the Ontario Heritage Act and recently re-opened after a full renovation.

All CBC/Radio-Canada's Ottawa production staff is now under one roof right in the heart of the capital, bringing together national and regional, French and English, radio, TV and New Media. Being together provides maximum opportunity to work together to deliver the best possible programming to audiences and listeners. The downtown location also gives greater visibility and more possibilities to invite the public in for activities in
Studio 40, or to bring shows right out into the Sparks Street Mall. Studio Sparks is Eric Friesen’s popular midday program. On occasion, as now during the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Studio Sparks brings artists and public together in production of a live broadcast.

Concert Venues - 2005