Brant Belle 'A' Dears

This group of female singers was organized in March 1971 by some of the wives of the Brant Men of Song. Jim Schofield was the first director while Gary Woodward was the accompanist. In Spring 1973 Gary Woodward took over as director. As well as performing separately, the group also sang with the Brant Men of Song as a mixed choir. They toured with them in Great Britain in 1976, western Canada in 1978, the Maritimes in 1981, and Florida in 1984. In 1987 Patricia Bohemier became the director of both groups. Adera Holton took over conducting duties of the Belle ‘A’ Dears for a time. Scott Millward became the musical director in 1997. The Brant Belle ‘A’ Dears continue to entertain people in southern Ontario with a combination of gospel, folk, show tunes, and classical music.

• Brant Men of Song (History)

Brant Choraleens

The Brantford chapter of Harmony Incorporated, the Brant Choraleens, was organized by Alan McSavage in 1968. A women’s barbershop chorus, the Choraleens performed during the Bell Centennial celebration in 1974 as well as the 1977 Brantford Centennial. Alan McSavage died in October 2007 (Brantford Expositor, October 6, 2007, p. C14). Still in existence today, the Brant Choraleens perform at various area competitions and events.

Brant Men of Song

Bob McIntosh and Frank Holton formed the Men of Song in 1961. There were sixteen men in the original choir which sang a variety of gospel, show tunes, and classical music. After Frank Holton resigned as conductor in 1968, Jim Schofield took his place. The choir grew and the name was changed to the Brant Men of Song. The group became a member of both the Associated Male Choruses of America and the Associated Male Choruses of Ontario. In 1975 Gary Woodward, the group’s accompanist, became the director. The Brant Men of Song and the Brant Belle ‘A’ Dears, who often performed together as a mixed choir, toured Great Britain in July 1976. They also travelled to western Canada in 1978, the Maritimes in July 1981, and Florida in 1984. The Brant Men of Song celebrated their 25th anniversary in 1986. Patricia Bohemier became the musical director of both groups in 1987. For two years in the late 1980s Frank Holton conducted the Brant Men of Song for a second time. After he retired other musical directors included Geoffery Bullivant, Raymond Dawdy, and Scott Millward. In February 2008 Amy Groleau became the director and accompanist of the Brant Men of Song who are still performing today.

• Brant Men of Song
• Associated Male Choruses of Ontario

Brantford Choral Union

Rev. Canon James Usher, the first rector of Grace Anglican Church, formed the Brantford Choral Union in the 1860s. He was the first president of the group which was conducted by A. W. Smith. This mixed chorus was reorganized by Rev. Sweatman in the early 1870s. They were accompanied by an orchestra made up of members of the local military bands. Rev. Usher, a minister in Brantford for thirty-six years, died in October 1872 (Brantford Weekly Expositor, November 1, 1872, p. 3).

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 67 of PDF)

Brantford Conservatory of Music

William Norman Andrews, musical director of the Brantford Young Ladies’ College, founded the Brantford Conservatory of Music. It was established to continue the work of the College which had closed in 1900. The Conservatory offered a wide range of courses including piano forte, organ, voice, and the art of conducting. It was located at 30 Nelson Street in a house built by Dr. William H. Stratford, the father of John H. Stratford who founded the Brantford General Hospital. When the building became the property of the Brantford Conservatory of Music they added a concert hall with seating for 350 people at the back of the house, installed a pipe organ, and built a new main entrance on the west side. Mr. Andrews, the headmaster, had an apartment on the east side of the house. A number of scholarships were given to students each year, including the Leipzig scholarship which gave the winner one year’s tuition at the Royal Conservatorium of Music in Leipzig, Germany. An historical plaque was erected at the home by the Ontario Heritage Foundation to commemorate the founding of The Royal Canadian College of Organists at this location in 1909. William Andrews, former musical director of the Ontario School for the Blind, died in October 1929 (Brantford Expositor, October 18, 1929, p. 1). Arthur G. Merriman became the principal and by 1935 the Brantford Conservatory of Music had moved to 107-109 Brant Avenue. Mr. Merriman, organist and choirmaster at Grace Anglican Church for many years, died in September 1946 (Brantford Expositor, September 4, 1946, p. 5). The Brantford Conservatory of Music was last listed in the 1953 city directory. The Reid & Brown Funeral Home took over 30 Nelson Street. William H. Hill bought the business in 1949 and the Hill & Robinson Funeral Home is still in business today at this address.

• Expositor October 1909 (p. 72 of PDF)
• Royal Canadian College of Organists Historical Plaque

Brantford Festival Choral and Orchestral Society

This society was formed in the fall of 1964. After three years the group had grown to more than 50 singers and 25 musicians. The purpose of the Brantford Festival Choral and Orchestral Society was to encourage promising local singers and musicians to develop their choral, orchestral, and conducting skills. George Fox conducted this group for five years. They held their first concert in 1965 and began a tradition of May concerts, including the 1967 Centennial Concert at the Civic Centre which had an audience of 1,000 people. Circa 1970 the group became known as “The Brantford Singers” under the direction of James Brown.

Brantford Ladies Choir

Frank Holton founded the Brantford Ladies Choir on September 15, 1936. Made up of approximately 55 singers, they won twenty-one first place prizes at prominent Canadian and American music festivals between 1938 and 1954, including the gold trophy at their first competition at the Chicagoland Festival. The Universal Cooler Company started sponsoring the choir in the mid 1940s and bought gowns for every member. In 1947 the choir won the grand choral award at the Eisteddfod in Utica, New York. The Chansonettes, a seventy-five member choir of girls aged 16 to 24, were trained as new talent for the choir. The group was known as the Universal Cooler Ladies’ Choir for several years before being combined with the Cockshutt Male Choir and being renamed the Universal Cooler Mixed Choir in 1951. The choir won first place in the Chicagoland Festival in 1952. A few years later the name was changed to the Henri K. Jordan Mixed Choir and then the CKPC Mixed Choir when the radio station started its sponsorship. When the choir disbanded in the late 1950s it was known as the Frank Holton Mixed Choir.

Brantford Male Chorus

Albert D. Jordan organized the Brantford Male Chorus in 1901, a few years after he came to Brantford as the organist of the Brant Avenue Methodist Church. The group consisted of approximately 50 voices – first and second tenors and first and second basses – who sang at annual concerts. Henri K. Jordan, brother of Albert, combined the chorus with his Brant Avenue Methodist Church Choir to form the Schubert Choir a couple of years after his brother moved to London, Ontario.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 69 of PDF)

Brantford Memorial Concert Band

E. M. Beadle and A. Watts organized the Brantford Memorial Concert Band in September 1931. The original band was made up of 45 boys between the ages of ten and eighteen and rehearsals were held at the Brantford Conservatory of Music at 30 Nelson Street. W. E. Clancy, the first bandmaster, moved rehearsals to the YMCA and later to the second floor of the Brantford Pattern Works at 51 George Street. A couple of years later W. N. (Pop) Telfer, owner of the Brantford Pattern Works, became the manager. The band had its own bus, a 1926 rebuilt Chevrolet with wooden spokes and a motorized portable bandstand, a 1929 Ford truck with wire spokes which could hold as many as forty boys. With many of the band’s members serving overseas during World War II, Mr. Clancy started instructing boys as part of the youth training program. When the war ended a senior unit, the Brantford Memorial Concert Band, was formed while the junior unit continued under the name of the Brantford Boys’ Band. A fundraising campaign was held to in order to purchase land and build a new practice facility with adequate storage space. The building at 32 Marlborough Street was finished in July 1947 and dedicated to the six band members who had lost their lives during World War II. With a charter of incorporation as a charitable organization they became known as the Brantford Boys’ Band Association. The band first obtained municipal aid in 1949 when Brantford voters approved a municipal band tax bylaw for the upkeep and maintenance of civilian bands in a referendum. In 1957 girls were admitted into the group. The name was changed to the Brantford School of Instrumental Music in 1959 after it was decided that the name Brantford Boys’ Band Association didn’t adequately reflect the work being done to provide musical training for local youth. In 1963 when the Kinsmen Club of Brantford was unable to financially support the Bell City Junior Band, those members were amalgamated into the group. Musical directors included Claude Keast who died in August 1968 (Brantford Expositor, August 12, 1968, p. 13), Wilfred Manning who died in August 2003 (Brantford Expositor, August 11, 2003, p. B11), and Horace Beard who died in July 2005 (Brantford Expositor, July 5, 2005, p. B9). The band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1981 with a “Come Blow Your Horn Weekend” held for three days during the last week in June 1981 at Mohawk Park and four Sunday Serenade concerts devoted to the fifty-year history of the band. The Brantford Memorial Concert Band is still active today.

• Brantford School of Instrumental Music

Brantford Mendelssohn Society

C. A. Garratt, the organist of Grace Anglican Church and the director of music at the Brantford Young Ladies’ College, started this society in 1886. He was also a composer who eventually moved to the United States. The group held concerts at the YMCA and sang at “The Grand Jubilee Concert” on June 21, 1887 at Wickliffe Hall.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 68 of PDF)

Brantford Music Club

Originally known as the Women’s Musical Club, this group was founded in 1902 to promote interest in music and develop local talent. Music programs were first held in Smith’s Music Store and later in Victoria Hall, the YMCA Hall, and the parish hall of Grace Anglican Church. The club disbanded during World War I but resumed meeting in 1919. In 1920 they held a banquet followed by a musical program to raise money for a community concert hall as a war memorial. At the start of the 1921 season they bought a grand piano which was moved to different member’s homes during the summer months. The name was changed to the Brantford Music Club on March 26, 1934. To celebrate their 60th anniversary in 1962 Dr. Boyd Neel and the Hart House Orchestra performed and the world premiere of a new composition by Harry Freedman was presented in Brantford on October 25, 1962. One of the club’s recitals each year concentrated on local students and scholarships were provided each year for the winners of the annual music festival. The Brantford Music Club celebrated their 75th anniversary in 1977. This club is still in existence today.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 80 of PDF)

Brantford Musical Society

Frederick G. Rogers organized the Brantford Musical Society shortly after he arrived in Brantford in 1893. He replaced C. A. Garratt both as the organist at Grace Anglican Church and as the musical director at the Brantford Young Ladies’ College. The society performed oratorios and light operas. Their performance of “Samson” with the Harris Orchestral Club of Hamilton and four leading soloists from New York in 1896 was a financial success. However, although the following year’s performance of the “Messiah” was an artistic success it was a failure financially and the group folded. Frederick Rogers moved to the United States before eventually returning to live in Calgary, Alberta.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 68-69 of PDF)

Brantford Oratorio Society

Mr. Schofield, the organist at the First Baptist Church, formed the Brantford Oratorio Society in 1917. Their first performance took place in April 1917 at the Grand Opera House on West Street. Dr. Frederick C. Thomas took over the group in 1919 when Mr. Schofield moved to Flint, Michigan. Dr. Thomas was the organist and choirmaster at several Brantford churches. He also founded the Brantford Symphony Orchestra in 1923, started the Thomas School of Music on Brant Avenue in 1925, and was one of the founders of what is now known as the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He returned to England in 1934 and died there in 1949. The Oratorio Society performed fifteen major productions, including Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise”, Handel’s “Messiah”, and Bizet’s “Carmen”. It was not known when the group disbanded but it was thought to be sometime after 1927.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 70 of PDF)

Brantford Philharmonic Society

The Brantford Philharmonic Society was a mixed choir that practiced at Wickliffe Hall on Colborne Street. They held an annual recital at Palmer Hall in the Kerby House. Edward Kimpton was the organizer and conductor of this group which was formed in 1877. His family had come from England and he was the choirmaster at Grace Anglican Church.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 67 of PDF)

Brantford Symphony Orchestra

Dr. Frederick C. Thomas established the original Brantford Symphony Orchestra in 1919. He was the organist and choirmaster at several Brantford churches. Dr. Thomas also directed the Brantford Oratorio Society, started the Thomas School of Music on Brant Avenue in 1925, and was one of the founders of what became known as the Canadian College of Organists. The orchestra disbanded in the mid 1930s because of the depression and the retirement of Dr. Thomas who returned to England in 1934 where he died in 1949. In March 1948 the Orchestra was reorganized by Fred F. Godden, the organist at Wesley United Church and supervisor of music at the Brantford Collegiate Institute. The orchestra’s first concert took place on March 3, 1948 at Sydenham Street United Church. By 1951 Mr. Godden had moved back to England and the orchestra was again disbanded. In Fall 1953 the present-day Brantford Symphony Orchestra was formed by a committee spearheaded by Dick Watts of the Parks and Recreation Department, who asked John Gilbert to be the conductor. Their first concert was held at Colborne Street United Church on May 9, 1954. The orchestra’s performances were moved to the Capitol Theatre, later the Sanderson Centre, in the 1960s. Conductors have included: Horace Beard (1954-1962), Claude Keast (1962-1967), Walter Babiak (1967-1974), Stanley Saunders (1974-2001), and David Bowser (2002-2005). The Women’s Committee was organized in 1951 to raise funds to support the orchestra.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 70 of PDF)
• Brantford Symphony Orchestra

Canadian Choir

Originally known as the Baptist Choral Union, this choir was organized by Frederic Lord who had been the organist and choirmaster at the First Baptist Church since 1923. The name was changed to the Canadian Choir in 1929. In October 1930, the choir, funded by public donations, toured Great Britain. Their first performance was at Usher Hall in Edinburgh with another performance the following night at the City Hall in Glasgow. They competed at the Festival in Blackpool, England and finished in fourth place in their class. They also performed for the royal family at Royal Albert Hall in London before arriving back in Brantford on November 16th. The choir practiced several nights a week at Frederic Lord’s home on Brant Avenue. In February 1934 the choir, 100 members strong and accompanied by the 75-member Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, performed one of Mr. Lord’s original compositions, “The 90th Psalm”, at the old Brant Theatre. In 1937 and 1938 they sang at the famed Town Hall in New York. The choir was reorganized into a smaller group of about thirty members in the late 1930s. The group disbanded in 1939 due to declining membership. Frederic Lord continued as organist and choirmaster at the First Baptist Church until his sudden death in August 1945 (Brantford Expositor, August 16, 1945, p. 1). He had been the Director of Music at the Ontario School for the Blind since 1924. Some of his other compositions included “A Waterfall at Midnight”, “An April Shower”, and “Three Preludes”.

Cockshutt Male Choir

Frank W. Holton, organist at Wesley United Church, organized the Cockshutt Male Choir on September 20, 1935. In the early years concerts were held at the Capitol Theatre with well-known soloists such as Lois Marshall (soprano), Gizelle Mackenzie (violinist), and Katherine Stokes (pianist) performing. The choir also performed at smaller concerts in Brantford and the surrounding area with local soloists and gave numerous concerts for Victory Bond Drives in western Ontario. During their existence they won sixteen major awards at music festivals in Stratford, London, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. Frank Holton directed this choir until May 21, 1946. Other musical directors included George A. Smale, organist and choirmaster at Zion United Church and director of music at the Ontario School for the Blind, Lansing McDowell, and Aleck Doherty. The Cockshutt Male Choir amalgamated with the Brantford Ladies Choir in 1951 and the group was renamed the Universal Cooler Mixed Choir. In 1952 the choir won first place in the Chicagoland Festival. The name of the group was changed several times during the next few years, from the Henri K. Jordan Mixed Choir to the CKPC Mixed Choir, before disbanding in the late 1950s. George A. Smale died in January 1994 (Brantford Expositor, January 12, 1994, p. B9). Frank W. Holton died in May 2007 (Brantford Expositor, May 7, 2007, p. B9).

Grand River Chorus

The Grand River Chorus, a mixed-voice choir, was formed by Robert Phillips and Carol Anne Feldstein in March 1999. In February 2000 they became a not-for-profit corporation. For the group’s first concert, they performed the “Mozart Requiem” at the Sanderson Centre in May 1999. Robert Phillips served as Artistic Director until May 2004 when Richard Cunningham took over. The Grand River Chorus has partnered with other local musical organizations, including the Brantford Symphony Orchestra and the Brantford Memorial Concert Band, to promote choral music in this area. Now 70 members strong, the Chorus performs four major concerts each season, including a gala fundraiser, the Grand Fete de Vin. The Grand River Chorus produced its first CD, “A Grand Christmas”, during its ninth season. To celebrate their tenth anniversary they performed “Saul”, a major oratorio by George Frideric Handel in April 2009. For more information:

• Grand River Chorus

Lyric Opera Guild of Brantford

The Lyric Opera Guild was founded in 1942 by Frederic Lord with his wife Dorothy as the group’s first president. Its main purpose was to provide a way for Mr. Lord’s students to improve their operatic talents. The group practiced at the Ontario School for the Blind auditorium, St. Joseph’s Hall, and the Lord’s home. Their first production, in the Brantford Collegiate Institute auditorium, featured the garden scene from “Faust” and the last act of “Rigoletto”. The guild folded during World War II but was reorganized in 1948 under the leadership of Mrs. Lord. They sang several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, “La Traviata”, and the “Pirates of Penzance” under the musical direction of Charles Kilgour. In 1952 the Guild performed “Faust” after which they had to disband because of financial difficulties and decreased membership. Dorothy Lord, a teacher at the Ontario School for the Blind and a member of the Brantford Symphony Orchestra, died in August 1980 (Brantford Expositor, August 9, 1980, p. 2).

Operatic Society

The Operatic Society performed several operas during their existence, including “H. M. S. Pinafore” and the “Pirates of Penzance”. W. Norman Andrews, organist at Grace Anglican Church and musical director at the Brantford Young Ladies’ College, directed the operas “Princess Bonnie”, “Iolanthe”, and “Little Tycoon”. Dr. F. C. Heath, the leader of the Congregational choir for many years, and Albert D. Jordan were also conductors. The Operatic Society ceased to exist circa 1893.

Orpheus Choral Society

The Orpheus Choral Society was in existence for several years during the 1950s. It was started by John Searchfield and was directed for most of its time by Miss Ina Bowen. Their headquarters was at Brant Avenue United Church.

Rotary Club Quartet

The Rotary Club Quartet, which sang frequently at conventions, was in existence from 1920 until 1943. It was led by Henri K. Jordan. Other members were George F. Stewart, Ernest Moule, Dr. Elmo Amos, and Mr. W. Carpenter, the spare singer. The quartet disbanded when Henri K. Jordan retired.

Schubert Choir

Henri K. Jordan combined the Brantford Male Chorus with his Brant Avenue Methodist Church choir to form the Schubert Choir in 1906. He conducted this choir for its entire existence except during World War I when he served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Clifford Higgin conducted the choir during Mr. Jordan’s absence. The Pittsburgh Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Orchestral Club, and the Little Symphony as well as many individual performers came to Brantford to play with the Schubert Choir. This choir entered many competitions across North America, including the American National Eisteddfod in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1929 where they won first place in the principal competition. In 1937 the choir gave a demonstration of Canadian choral art at the fifth biennial convention of the Eastern Music Educators of the United States. They were invited to perform at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, the only non-American group to be asked. The Schubert Choir’s final concert took place in Spring 1941, a 35th anniversary celebration which marked the retirement of Henri Jordan. Henri Jordan had come to Brantford in 1902 to succeed his brother, Albert, as director of music at the Brant Avenue Methodist Church where he stayed until 1945 and as conductor of the Brantford Male Chorus. He was a life member and honourary president of the Brantford Branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association and a founder and one-time president of the Brantford Centre of the Canadian College of Organists. In October 1938 he was awarded an honourary degree of doctor of music from the University of Toronto. Henri K. Jordan died in October 1949 (Brantford Expositor, October 28, 1949, p. 14). Memorabilia, including a photograph, the silver trophy won by the choir in 1929 and a baton, were donated to the Brant County Historical Society in September 1975 by his daughters.

• Expositor Semi-Centennial 1877-1927 (p. 69-70 of PDF)

Schubert Choir

St. John's Drum and Bugle Corps

The St. John’s Girls Drum Corps was formed on October 16, 1953 at the Brantford Catholic High School. At first there were eighteen members but by fall 1954 that number had increased to twenty-nine. Linda Glendinning was the first drum major and George Mellor was the Corps instructor from the time the group was formed until the mid 1970s. Majorettes became part of the Corps in 1956. In 1958 a ten-member color party was added. By 1959 the Corps had fifty-three members. The director and major promoter was the principal of the Brantford Catholic High School, Rev. Frank Dentinger. The group won their first Canadian Championship in 1962. Since 1968 the group has been a self-supporting organization. In 1975 the Belles of St. John’s was formed, a group of girls from ages nine to twelve, who were trained to be part of the older girls’ group. The name of the group was changed to the Brantford Girls Drum and Bugle Corps in 1981. Lions Park in Brantford was the site of the Canadian National Bugle and Drum Corps Championships on August 28, 1982. Membership was opened to boys in 1985 and the name was changed to the St. John’s Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1995 they became the Canadian National A-60 Champions for the fifth consecutive year. The Corps hosted the Canadian National Drum Corps championships in 1997 and 1999. A decline in membership prevented the Corps from competing in 1999 and forced them to continue only as a parade group. The Corps returned to competition in 2002. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2003, the oldest junior drum corps in the country. The group continues to perform in many national and international competitions and their headquarters is located at 61 Usher Street in Brantford.