CURRENT MUSIC DIRECTOR
Andrew McAnerney 2015-2018, 2023-present
Andrew is the Director of the Choir of Men & Boys at Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa, Artistic Director of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, and Conductor of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa.
Andrew was raised in the Anglican choral tradition as a boy chorister at Cirencester Parish Church and Gloucester Cathedral. After studying music at Magdalen College, Oxford, he was appointed a tenor lay clerk at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle before moving to London and pursuing a musical career working as a conductor, soloist, consort singer and arranger.
In addition to touring Europe singing sacred music with the Tallis Scholars, Brabant Ensemble and Contrapunctus, career highlights have included radio and TV broadcasts (including 18 appearances on BBC Radio Three’s Choral Evensong), singing at various royal events including the wedding of Prince Edward in 1999, and taking part in hundreds of choral services in churches, chapels and cathedrals throughout the world.
PREVIOUS MUSIC DIRECTORS AND ORGANISTS
Matthew Larkin 1996-2006, 2019-2023
One of Canada’s foremost organists and church musicians, Matthew Larkin has forged a successful career in many musical forums, including as choral and orchestral conductor, composer and arranger, accompanist and recording artist.
He is the Founding Artistic Director of Caelis Academy Ensemble, Ottawa, Music Director of the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa, Principal Family Conductor of the Ottawa Pops Orchestra, and maintains a busy calendar of recital, conducting, and collaborative projects.
For the past two decades, Matthew has made his home in Ottawa, where he has served as Director of Music of both St. Matthew’s Church and Christ Church Cathedral. Matthew lead the Choir of Men and Boys of Christ Church Cathedral on several cathedral residencies in the UK, including Ely, Salisbury, and St. Paul's Cathedrals, and Westminster Abbey. His extensive liturgical music experience has included appointments at the Church of St. John the Divine, Victoria, St. James' Cathedral, Toronto, and St. Thomas's Church, Toronto.
While Music Director of the Ottawa Choral Society (2005-12), Matthew introduced many new works into the choir's repertoire, collaborating frequently with the National Arts Centre. As a choral and orchestral conductor, he has lead performances of a wide range of oratorio and symphonic works.
A published composer, Matthew Larkin’s music has been performed and recorded worldwide, and he is frequently in demand as an instrumental and choral arranger. He has worked extensively with instrumental ensembles as soloist and guest conductor, and has appeared as organist with the Gabrieli Consort, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony, the Victoria Symphony, the Theatre of Early Music, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Matthew Larkin has been featured as solo guest artist and collaborator with many of Canada's summer music festivals, including Ottawa's Chamberfest, the Elora Festival, and the Music and Beyond Festival. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, he has concertized throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and China.
A native of Oxford, UK, Matthew spent his childhood in Kingston, Ontario, where he received his early musical instruction in singing, piano and organ playing, as well as liturgical composition. He later attended the University of Toronto (as Organ Scholar of Trinity College) where he studied with John Tuttle, and the Royal College of Music, London, where he studied with Nicholas Danby.
James Caswell 1995-96, 2007-2014 is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with degrees in music and education, and is in demand in the National Capital Region as conductor, accompanist and clinician. James is the vocal performance teacher in the Arts Canterbury programme at Canterbury High School in Ottawa. Mr. Caswell was the Music director of the Canadian Centennial Choir from 1994 -2009. From 1992 to 2001 James was the Director of Music at First Baptist, and the accompanist for the University of Ottawa Choir from 1991 to 1998. As a guest conductor, he has appeared with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, the Ottawa Choral Society and the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus. He has also appeared as organist with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. In 1998, he was a participant conductor at the Oregon Bach Festival, under Helmuth Rilling.
Stephen Candow was co-director in 2008 and 2010 with James Caswell. In 2012 Stephen will join the ACO as the organist. Stephen is a native of St John's, Newfoundland, holds a conjoint BMus/BMusEd from Memorial University and a MMus in performance from the University of Toronto. In 1998 Stephen won the post of Guinness Organ Scholar at Christ Church Dublin, Ireland. Following his year in Dublin, he went on to become the assistant organist in Canada's Methodist Cathedral, Metropolitan United in Toronto. While there, he was also the accompanist for the renowned Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir. Stephen returned to Newfoundland in 2002 where became organist and choirmaster of St Michael and All Angels Anglican Parish, an accompanist for the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir and chair of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Avalon Centre. In 2005, he moved to Ottawa to take up the prestigious post of Director of Music at St Matthew's Anglican Church. In 2010 Stephen and his family returned to Newfoundland.
Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill was Associate Director of the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa from 2003 to 2006. Bruce was on three U.K. Tours with the Chorale - Wells in 1998, Exeter in 2004, and Canterbury in 2006. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill completed his MA in musico logy at the University of Victoria before moving to Toronto for doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. He left his job as Organist at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Victoria, and for seven years was Organist and Choirmaster at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Scarborough, and College Organist for St. Michael's College on the University of Toronto campus. In 1997 he he became Organist and Director of Music at Christ Church Deer Park in Toronto. He was the accompanist for Pax Christi Chorale, and the rehearsal accompanist for the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir. Bruce was also a member of the award-winning Exultate Chamber Singers. Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill died on Sunday, March 18, in his 48th year. We will all miss his energetic, lively, gregarious presence that radiated an equal love for music and people.
Andrew Teague founded the Anglican Chorale of Ottawa in 1994, and was a music director and/or organist until 2002. Andrew was the Organist & Choirmaster at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Ottawa during the early nineties. He was founder member of the committee of the South Eastern Ontario branch of the Royal School of Church Music. On returning to the UK in 1994 to take up the post of Director of Music at St. Elphin's School, Andrew also became Organist & Choirmaster at St. Peter's Church in Nottingham. In January 2003 he was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Bradford Cathedral. Originally trained at Oxford and Cambridge universities, he has also held posts as Organist in Brighton and Oxford.