Canadian International Organ Competition

I had a nice note today from Alexia Jensen with the Canadian International Organ Competition. They happened upon this blog recently and asked if I could add a link for the CIOC at the bottom of the page. Of course I am glad to do so. From their website:

The Canadian International Organ Competition (CIOC) promotes organ music namely by increasing public awareness and interest for this music.

The CIOC presents, every year in October, a festival with some of the world's finest organists. Every third year, the CIOC organizes an international competition in which a prestigious jury representing various countries awards important prizes to a selection of the best young organists in the world.

Seeking to actively participate in the cultural life, the CIOC annually develops a programme of activities in collaboration with various organisations of the organ world; these musical and educational activities are designed to emphasize the cultural importance of pipe organs – treasures of our heritage – for a wide and diverse audience.

Every now and then I hear from someone who has discovered this blog and I am delighted. I am honored the CIOC is interested in promoting this blog in their on-line resources, and am happy to return the favor.

Canada: Healy Willan

Canada issued this stamp in 1980 in honor of Healy Willan. It was part of a set of two; the other (same denomination 17c) featured singer Emma Albani (1847-1930). Willan was one of the most important Canadian composers of his generation. He was for years (1921-1968) organist at St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto. Without information on the stamp, one might assume that the console shown is that of the organ at St. Mary's from Willan's era. I've played many of Willan's chorale preludes and one or two of the larger works. I have had choirs work on a couple of his anthems. A nice article about the organ can be found here.

I found this humorous tidbit at Wikipedia: People who remember Willan from his time at St Mary Magdalene's like to moderate his somewhat dourly pious public image by quoting him—it was a mainstay of concert talks by Robert Hunter Bell—as to his provenance: "English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption."