Music – Westmount Park United Church

Westmount Park United Church has a working 1930 three manual Opus 1366 Casavant organ donated by the Women’s Auxiliary.

Refurbished in 1968, it continues to play a central role in our weekly worship and with other musical events at the church.

ORGANIST: PHILIP CROZIER

Born in Preston, England, PHILIP CROZIER began learning the piano at six, and was a treble chorister in both Blackburn and Carlisle Cathedral choirs, singing daily choral services. His interest in the organ started very early and he began organ study at the age of sixteen, gaining the ARCO diploma whilst still at school, followed by the LRAM diploma in organ performance within two years. In 1979 he graduated from Cardiff University where he was awarded the Glynne Jones Prize for Organ in 1978 and 1979 and pursued further studies in Paris with the great blind French organist André Marchal in whose memory he performed the complete organ works of César Franck in 1981.

In 1984 he moved to Canada and married the late Sylvie Poirier, an organist and painter, with whom he formed an organ duo team in 1990, becoming known internationally through their concert career and commissioning of organ duets by composers from Canada and abroad and the release of recordings which include three CDs of solo organ works by Petr Eben.

Philip Crozier has given solo recitals extensively in Europe and North America, including the complete organ works of Jehan Alain in Montreal in 1990 (and again in 2011 in thirteen concerts in Europe) and the Canadian première of Petr Eben’s Hommage à Henry Purcell in 1995 at the request of the composer.

From 1986 to 2016 Philip Crozier was Director of Music at St. James United Church, Montreal. He is the accompanist to the Stewart Hall Singers and the Concordia University Chorus and is in regular demand as accompanist to various choral and instrumental groups as well as maintaining an international career as a solo recitalist.

Listen to Philip play

Philip Crozier – orgue du Grand Séminaire de Montréal

Domorgel Essen in concert: César Franck: Fantaisie in A

SOPRANO SOLOIST

LOUISE YARD

Montreal born soprano and teacher LOUISE YARD received her voice training from Huguette Tourangeau and Barry Thompson. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music from Concordia University. Professionally, she has sung for many years with an extensive repertoire of music in classical and more contemporary style in English, French, Italian, German, Russian, Polish and Portuguese. She has sung in other venues in Eastern Canada and is currently singing as a guest soloist in various concerts in Montreal. As well, she has been teaching privately the belcanto technique for the past twenty years.

GUEST SOLOISTS

Guest soloists are often present.

In memoria: Virginia McClure, Mary McKinnon