Music is an integral part of worship on Sundays and everyday.

Sanctuary Choir

The Sanctuary Choir, conducted by Gordon Burnett, in collaboration with organist and director of music Ann-Marie MacDairmid, is a 20-25 voice adult, SATB ensemble, providing musical leadership in services from September to mid-June. The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings for an hour and a half (7:45-9:15 p.m.). Warm-up on Sunday morning is 9 a.m. for 10 a.m. services. The choir sings a wide range of repertoire consisting of traditional church anthems, spirituals, gospel songs, and contemporary praise songs. Services are live-streamed each week. Twice a month they are also televised on CTV. The choir prepares special music for Christmas and Easter. This includes our annual Lessons and Carols Service, which is broadcast by CTV on Christmas Day and our Good Friday service broadcast. The Good Friday service usually features an extended choral work eg. The Crucifixion John Stainer, It is finished, Mary McDonald.

The choir is supported by a talented group of choral scholars, who enrich our worship services with offertory solos, duets, trios and quartets. We invite you to consider joining us and sharing your musical talents.

Hand Bell Choir

The St. Andrew’s Handbell Choir is an intergenerational ensemble dedicated to the art of handbell ringing. Ringing bells provides an excellent opportunity for interested members of the congregation to contribute to the music ministry of the church.

The group meets weekly, on Thursday evenings, for an hour and plays once a month at a service.

Previous experience is not required. New ringers generally start with one bell, learn proper ringing technique, how to read music notation and begin to develop their ensemble playing skills. Over time, as confidence and skill levels increase, a second bell may be added. A typical handbell season runs from September to May.

Noon Hour Concerts

Our Noon Hour Concerts are back for another incredible season of music and community building under the artistic direction of our Music Director Ann-Marie MacDairmid. We are excited to welcome guests back into our sanctuary to enjoy these concerts in person and we will continue to stream live on our YouTube channel.

Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital from 11:30 am - 12:15 pm View our full lineup of musicians below.

Noon Hour Concerts - Spring 2024

Douglas Haas ‘Organ Trumpet Stop’ Legacy Project

Douglas Haas was organist at St Andrew’s for 53 years. He performed music on St. Andrew’s Casavant organ. It was Doug’s dream to have a new trumpet stop.

This dream has become a reality. The organ now sounds even more impressive with the distinctive sound of this new trumpet stop. And, it stands as a testament to his time at St Andrew’s whenever it is used.

The work included installing a chest and reservoir along with the 61 pipes (a “full stop”). The new stop has been placed in the choir division under expression, that is, in a shuttered chamber which allows variations in volume.

The Douglas Haas Music Ministry Enhancement Endowment Fund

This permanent fund was established with generous legacy gifts from Murray Wiegand in memory of his parents, Don and Eileen, and from Marianne Sanders to honour the long career of Douglas Haas and to ensure that his legacy of excellent organ and choral music at St. Andrew’s continues.

Annual distributions from the endowment will provide additional funds beyond what could normally be provided through the annual operating budget for the enhancement of the overall music ministry of St. Andrew’s Church, and can be used for such purposes as:

• the music scholar program,

• guest soloists and instrumentalists,

• organ and piano maintenance, etc.

If you love St. Andrew’s legacy of music and want to ensure that inspiring music continues to be a vital part of the church’s worship, please consider contributing a legacy gift to this endowment.

Music of the Holy Spirit Jigsaw Puzzle