Frederic Egener

Egener, Frederic

Frederic (Tristram) Egener. Organist, composer, b Hamilton, Ont, 1886, d London, Ont, 17 June 1973; B MUS (Toronto) 1918, D MUS (Potomac) 1920; FCCO 1920s. His teachers were T.J. Palmer, H.A. Wheeldon, F.J. Thomas, and J. Norman in Canada and Frederick Keel and Reginald Goss-Custard in England. While organist 1905-10 at Zion Presbyterian Church, Brantford, Ont, he was a founding member in 1909 of the CCO (RCCO). He held various church positions 1910-19 in southwestern Ontario and operated the Woodstock Cons before pursuing a concert career in the USA. He was chief organist and organ designer for the Marcus Loew Theatre Corp in New York, inaugurating theatre organs in Detroit, Minneapolis, and elsewhere.

In 1922 Egener became organist at Welland Ave United Church, St Catharines, Ont, serving also as bandmaster and music director 1928-32 of the Lincoln Regiment. He was then appointed organist (1932-51) at Cronyn Memorial Anglican Church, London, Ont, where he gave over 100 recitals and presented oratorios. By 1949 he had given some 2400 recitals in Switzerland, Canada, the USA, and England. Before his retirement in 1965 he served also at St James (Westminster) Anglican Church, London, Ont, and in nearby Sarnia and St Thomas. Egener composed five songs, a few miniatures for piano, a choral setting of 'The Lord's Prayer' (Waterloo), and Scenes Canadian, Opus 12 (Waterloo 1929), a set of 10 character pieces for organ, begun in 1918.