John Bearder

Bearder, John

John (William) Bearder. Organist, composer, b Bradford, Yorkshire, England, 26 Dec 1873, d Toronto 6 May 1958; FRCO 1895, D MUS (Bishop's College) ca 1930. At 12 he held the first of many positions as organist-choirmaster in English churches. In Canada he was organist 1907-13 in Sherbrooke, Que, at St Peter's Anglican Church, and 1913-50 in Ottawa, successively at All Saints Anglican Church and St Matthew's Anglican Church. Bearder was president 1926-7 of the CCO (later RCCO) and for several years chairman of the CCO Ottawa Centre, and he gave over 200 recitals in Ottawa churches during his career. He founded the Ottawa Collegiate Institute orchestras in 1915 and supervised several other school orchestras until ca 1950. He was an examiner ca 1928-37 for Bishop's University and the Dominion College of Music. For a time he was music editor of the Ottawa Journal. Bearder composed and arranged many songs and choral pieces for church use and also wrote for violin and piano. Most of his works remain in manuscript, though his Communion Service in B Flat, Morning Service, and Evening Service were published by Woodward, London. Several of his songs, including 'Canadian Born,' 'When I Survey,' and 'Be Thou My Vision,' received public performance.