Musical Union

Musical Union

Musical Union

1 A Toronto choral society which performed intermittently 1862-7 at Mechanics' Hall. Founded in 1861 by John Carter it gave its first concert 25 Mar 1862 with a chorus of 80 and an orchestra of 40 drawn mainly from regimental bands. Handel's Dettingen Te Deum and Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise were performed. The next season (1863-4) was cancelled due to lack of support but was revived 10 Mar 1864, when 30 performers presented the Upper Canada premiere of Andreas Romberg's Lay of the Bell and excerpts from The Creation. The final two seasons (1865-7) included concert performances of Il Trovatore (21 and 31 May 1866) and La Sonnambula (30 Nov 1866).

2 A second Toronto choral society of the same name, conducted by J.W.F. Harrison, was founded in 1886 with the aim of presenting 'shorter works of the best masters which are rarely heard' (Musical Journal, February 1887). It gave a concert, 1 Mar 1887 at the Pavilion, accompanied by two pianos and a cabinet organ. The program included Sullivan's The Prodigal Son. No further information has come to light.