Crousetown, Nova Scotia
presents
Crousetown Baroque Concerts
Celebrating 51 years of concerts of baroque music in Crousetown
In memoriam Dr. Robert Crouse (1930-2011)
2014
The historic organ in St. Mary’s Church, Crousetown, Nova Scotia,
built by James Wilson, London, England, 1826.
The organ is the oldest in use in Nova Scotia.
Judith Burdett
Judith
Burdett is a native of P.E.I. and a long time resident of Lunenburg
County. She holds a B. Mus. and B. Ed. from Mount Allison University
and a Kodaly Diploma from Acadia University. She has been a chorister
and soloist with numerous Chamber Choirs including Novus, incantatus,
and Eventide, and is a current member of the Halifax Camerata Singers
and the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus. She has performed with the N.S.
Youth Orchestra, Chebucto Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia,
and has been guest soloist with choirs throughout the province.
Edmund Brownless
Edmund
Brownless was born in Norwich, England and sang as a chorister in the
choir of Hereford Cathedral. After emigrating to Nova Scotia he studied
voice with Prof. Marie McCarthy at Acadia University and Prof. Jan
Simons at McGill University in Montréal, where he received the B. Mus.
and M. Mus. degrees in vocal performance. He also participated in
masterclasses with Alfred Deller, Emma Kirkby, Nigel Rogers, and Andrea
von Ramm. Later he studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in
Switzerland and had lessons with Cornelius L. Reid in New York. As a
soloist he has performed throughout Europe and North America and sings
on many recordings, notably with Le Studio de musique ancienne de
Montréal, L'Ensemble Claude-Gervaise, The Boston Camerata,
Capilla Flamenca, The Bach Ensemble, Sequentia, Ensemble Gilles
Binchois, and the Clemencic Consort. He taught voice and Early Music at
the Hoch Conservatory and voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende
Kunst in Frankfurt, Germany.
Garth MacPhee
Garth
MacPhee began his career in Church Music at the age of twelve. A native
Nova Scotian, Garth is a graduate of the Schulich School of Music at
McGill University (M. Mus '06) where he studied organ and liturgical
improvisation with distinguished organists John Grew and William
Porter. During his years in Montreal, Garth was Director of Music at
Saint John the Evangelist Church, Canada's oldest Anglo Catholic
parish. He returned to Halifax last summer to begin his appointment as
Director of Music at Saint George's Round Church. Garth is active as a
choral conductor, organist and choral tenor. No stranger to Crousetown
Baroque Concerts, Garth is honoured to return to St Mary's for this
50th concert celebration.
Garth MacPhee
Crousetown Baroque Concerts
The founder
Rev. Dr. Robert Crouse
Dr.
Robert Crouse started the Crousetown Baroque Concerts in 1962 as an
informal way to share music with the community and to make good use of
a recently acquired pipe organ. In addition to being a scholar and a
priest, Father Crouse was also a talented musician, whose influence was
felt both in Chapel worship, in his assistance as organist in the
parishes of Petite Riviere and New Dublin and in his Crousetown special
choral services.
St. Mary’s Church, Crousetown, Nova Scotia