St. Michael’s Choir School has long been renowned as the most famous choir school in Canada. The school was founded in 1937 by Msgr. J.E. Ronan to provide a choir for the liturgical services of St. Michael’s Cathedral. It began with 18 boys and now has over 400 students. The school begins at Grade Three and from that year to the last year of high school each boy gets a thorough musical training. To qualify for admission students must have a good voice and a musical ear. An above-average academic potential is as a must so that the amount of time spent on musical instruction does not interfere with academic accomplishment. In addition to daily choral training, all students study piano and music theory. A large number of them also study organ, violin, classical guitar or other instruments.
The school is adjacent to St. Michael’s Cathedral, and liturgical music is the center of the school’s vocal training. Every weekend four choirs, each of around eighty boys of St. Michael’s Choir School bring vitality and beauty to the services of the renowned Cathedral which seats 1200 people. In June 1984 the Cathedral was the site of one of the highlights of the Toronto International Festival when the Canadian Opera Company, with the assistance of choristers and soloists from the Choir School presented Emilio de’Cavalieri’s 17th century opera “Rappresentazione di Anima e di Corpo”. In September 1984 beautiful music was provided by the choir for the visit to the Cathedral of Pope John Paul II, and all the boys and many graduates formed part of the ten thousand-voice choir for the Papal Mass at Downsview. The choirs have also sung with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and on CBC-TV. They enjoy presenting concerts of classical, religious and folk music at Senior Citizen Centres and Nursing Homes in Toronto and vicinity, and in the areas they visit while on tour.
Since 1939 the Choir School has presented a Christmas Concert each year (since 1965 in Massey Hall). This concert has become such an integral part of Christmas in Toronto that the School is guaranteed a three-night sellout, boasting a total of 8,500 loyal listeners. This annual Concert is preceded by a Tour, which takes about 130 choristers to other areas of Ontario in a slightly abbreviated version of the Massey Hall show.
Since 1971 the Choir has toured annually for a two-week period in the Spring. It has been applauded in Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, Wales and Rome, as well as throughout Canada from east to west and in many places in the United States.
St. Michael’s Choir School is featured in “A Celebration of Life” benefit concert, to be held on April 4 at Massey Hall in Toronto.
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