Making a Joyful Noise, for 120 Years

From the earliest days, music has been an important part of our worship. Meeting in homes and schoolrooms, the earliest congregants of our founding churches would sing hymns together. With luck, there’d be a piano present, and someone who could bang out the tunes! Children sang in Sunday School and if we can believe the evidence of this historical photo, young people formed bands featuring woodwinds and strings.

1. Youth orchestra apparently from the early 1900s, possibly taken in front of the home of John N. Way, the location of the earliest services of Verdun Methodist Church,which would become Verdun United. The word “Methodist” can be deciphered on the bass drum.

2. Detail of the wooden pipe organ, hand-crafted by Wolf Kater, at SouthWest United Church.
Photo: M. Lipscombe

As soon as our predecessors were able to plan proper church buildings, they gave thought to the musical portion of their services. Verdun United installed a 3-manual pipe organ manufactured by Franklin Legge Organ Co. of Toronto. Crawford Park started out with a Minschall organ in 1952, which was replaced in 1977. In 2010, the amalgamated congregation, now called SouthWest United , replaced it with the hand-crafted wooden organ you see in the sanctuary today.

With these organs came professional organists and choir directors. And oh yes, there have been choirs! Junior and senior choirs; children’s choirs; men’s and women’s choirs; choirs big and small, dressed in robes or street clothes, all making a joyful noise unto the Lord!

3. This photo is labelled Men’s Club Choir, 1954. It appears to have been taken in the basement of our current church, back when the stage jutted out into the hall. Renovations in 1967 left the front of the stage flush with the wall as it remains today. That’s a young Rev. A.E. Jones at the extreme left. He would be called as Minister to Crawford Park from 1955-1957, and then on to Verdun United from 1957-1975.

4. A Choir Party in the Crawford Park hall in 1985. Pictured, left to right: Jean Abbott, Mary McDowall, Hazel Long, Jean Gillebrand, Marg Bowker, Louise Smith, Cliff Gillebrand and Bill Bowker at the piano. Note that the stage, currently in use as our office, was set up as a sort of lounge, with photos of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the walls.

Ed Chaffey, camping it up in the 1957 Y.A.G. Revue.

United Church people being a fun-loving bunch, some of the music made over the years has not been strictly church music. Part of the joy of having a building is having a hall to be used for dinners, dances and shows.

in the 1950s, Verdun United had a very active Young Adult group, the members of which put a great deal of energy into the annual Y.A.G. Revue. Thanks to the late Ed Chaffey, who was an enthusiastic participant, we have many photos from these shows that featured skits, songs from popular Broadway shows like Oklahoma and South Pacific, and quite a bit of cross-dressing. They were performed on the stage of the VUC hall.

That stage was also the site of an early performance by Gerry Mercer, a Verdun boy who would go on to join the successful Canadian rock band April Wine in the 1970s.

These pictures and many others will be on display in the church as of November 16th as part of the exhibit: 120 Years of the United Church in Verdun.

The caption says Gerry Mercer’s Band. We presume that’s Gerry on drums. This was taken in April 1960, the month Gerry turned 21.

Pieces of history

This pamphlet was discovered among some old Verdun United files. Featuring songs from O Canada to Oh! Susannah, it’s barely bigger than a cheque book. Sponsored by Tooke Brothers manufacturing, which used to be on de Courcelle Street, it also features ads for some of their products. Whenever it was published (1950s?) you could get a dress shirt or a pair of tailored pyjamas for $4.95! Anybody remember using this for singalongs? Contact the office if you have memories to share.

Good Friday Gospel Concert Gospel du Vendredi Saint

A great SouthWest tradition is returning, and that’s something to celebrate!

GOOD FRIDAY GOSPEL
Stewart Burrows & Friends
SouthWest United Church
April 19 at 7 pm

$20 donation at the door

We’re also inviting you to a pre-concert bonus:
Come for a delicious meal first!

Supper at 6 pm

La tradition continue : un concert à ne pas manquer!

GOSPEL du VENDREDI SAINT
Stewart Burrows & Amis
Église unie Sud-ouest
Le 19 avril à 19 heures

20 $ à la porte

ET vous avez l’option de venir pour un repas avant le concert :

Souper à 18 heures !

Stewart Burrows is a singer-songwriter from Quebec who writes and performs his own brand of Celtic-Canadian folk music in English and French.  He has performed at festivals and venues across North America and Europe, and is currently a regular on the Montreal Celtic music scene.

For this concert, he will play guitar, banjo and mandolin.  Stewart finds particular comfort in sitting on his farm, by the shore of Lake St Francis in Dundee, nursing a pint of stout, while trying to play Blackberry Blossom, in D-flat, at pub-speed, on his mandolin.

 Stewart Burrows est musicien-chansonnier Québécois ainsi que compositeur et performeur de son style personnel de musique celto-canadienne en français et en anglais.  Ses voyages musicaux l’ont mené à travers l’Amérique du Nord et en Europe.  On trouve Stewart souvent ces jours là parmis les musiciens celtiques montréalés.  Pour ce concert, il joue guitare, banjo et mandoline.  Il trouve un réconfort spécial assis sur sa ferme sur le bord de Lac Saint-François à Dundee, pint-o-Guinness en main, en pratiquant “Blackberry Blossom” en Re-bémol à la vitesse de ‘pub’ sur sa mandoline.

Easter celebrations at SouthWest

SouthWest invites you:
2019 Easter Celebrations

SouthWest Mission, 631 Melrose St., Verdun

GOOD FRIDAY Worship
April 19, 11am service
followed by a light lunch

SouthWest United Church, 1445 Clémenceau St., Verdun

Good Friday GOSPEL CONCERT
Stewart Burrows with invited guests
April 19, Dinner at 6PM, Concert at 7PM,
$20 suggested donation for both

EASTER SUNDAY April 21

8:30AM: New Fire (front lawn)

9:00AM: Resurrection Breakfast

10AM HALLELUJAH Easter service

Easter Egg Hunt! (following service)

Music Notes

This Sunday we take another look at Thomas Dorsey, “The Father of Gospel Music,” and the stories behind some of his music, including one of our favourite hymns, Precious Lord, Take My Hand.

Steve Scales will sing two of Dorsey’s Gospel songs - Consideration and Walk Over God’s Heaven.

Another announcement on a Gospel theme: Good Friday Gospel is back!

April 19 – the concert is at 7 pm, dinner at 6 pm.

More information over the coming weeks!

Thomas Dorsey

Celtic Musician Stewart Burrows to lead worship this Sunday

Stewart Burrows is a singer-songwriter from Quebec who writes and performs his own brand of Celtic-Canadian folk music in English and French.  He has performed at festivals and venues across North America and Europe, and is currently a regular on the Montreal Celtic music scene.

You can add lay ministry to Stewart’s list of accomplishments; he is much in demand for pulpit supply in the Rockburn-Huntingdon-Southern Quebec region.

 This Sunday, February 3rd, Stewart will lead worship at Southwest United at 10AM. All are welcome. Bring a friend!

 Stewart Burrows est musicien-chansonnier Québécois ainsi que compositeur et performeur de son style personnel de musique celto-canadienne en français et en anglais.  Ses voyages musicaux l’ont mené à travers l’Amérique du Nord et en Europe. 

Music Sunday October 28/ Dimanche en musique 28 octobre

Come celebrate our return to the Church with a service filled with wonderful music, the universal language. The building will be warm, clean and inviting, on the inside at least! Musicians include Roman Fraser (violin) and Joshua Morris (cello).
Details to follow.

Venez célébrer avec nous notre retour à l’église – on a hâte! Malgré les travaux à l’extérieur, l’intimité, la chaleur et une merveilleuse ambiance nous attend à l’intérieur. Les musiciens : Roman Fraser (violon) et Joshua Morris (violoncelle) préparent un programme tout a fait extraordinaire !

Viva Musica!

SouthWest Music and the 2018 – 2019 season

Another year of wonderful music is upon us, and we are ready to begin preparations for all kinds of events – from regular Sundays to the traditional celebration of Christmas music, by way of special ‘Music Sundays.’

Interested in taking part in any way? Do you sing? Play the bagpipes? Wooden spoons? Free every third week? Let me know!

Easiest if you contact me directly (saromica@yahoo.ca) but the church office can always forward messages as well.

See you soon!

Sarah and the Music Team

Musique Sud-ouest et la nouvelle saison 2018 – 2019

Oui on est prêt! Malgré le beau temps qui continue l’heure est venue de commencer nos préparations pour les célébrations de dimanche, les « dimanches en musique » et même Chantons Noël !

Vous aimez chanter? Vous jouez de la guitare ou la flûte à bec? Vous appréciez toutes styles de musique mais vos propres talents sont à découvrir? Il y a de la place pour tout le monde!

Vous pouvez me contacter directement (saromica@yahoo.ca) ou en laissant un message au bureau de l’église.

J’ai hâte de vous voir!

Sarah + l’équipe de musique

Music Sunday - Pentecost May 20th/ Dimanche de Pentecôte, en musique!

- LE FRANÇAIS SUIT -

Come join us for a celebration of spirit and song on this special day!

Steve Scales will knock your socks off in two songs by Thomas Dorsey, the Father of Gospel.

Arielle Soucy will be back to sing Purcell, an Irish folksong, and another hit from last fall, her beautiful La vie en rose.

We’re going to welcome a couple of young musicians (yes, a surprise!) that will make hymn singing a whole lot more fun.

Followed by coffee, tea and something sweet outside: it’s spring!

See you Sunday!

The SouthWest Music Team

٭٭٭

Venez nous joindre pour une célébration en musique ce dimanche le 20 mai.

À l’écoute : Steve Scales interprètera deux chansons du « père de la musique gospel » Thomas

Dorsey (on dirait que cette musique est fait pour Steve…il faut vraiment l’entendre).

Arielle Soucy chantera du Purcell, une chanson folklorique irlandaise, et sa superbe La vie en rose d' Edith Piaf.

Deux jeunes musiciennes seront avec nous (soyez gentil!) pour nous aider à chanter nos cantiques avec encore plus d’expression…

À dimanche !

L’équipe musicale Sud-ouest

Jazz Vespers/ Vêpres de jazz @ Cedar Park

Nourish your soul through afternoon worship and jazz music. Cedar Park United presents a special Jazz Vespers on Sunday, May 27th at 4:30PM. With renowned jazz liturgist Brian Fraser, and the Simon Millerd Trio. Pay-what-you-can. 

Apaisez votre esprit pendant un après-midi de prière et de méditation accompagné de jazz merveilleux  avec Brian Fraser, liturgiste de jazz de renommé, et le trio Simon Millerd. Dimanche, 27 mai à 16H30 à l'Église Unie Cedar Park.

204 Lakeview, Pointe Claire South. 514-695-3337.
www.cedarparkunited.org