St. Matthew's Anglican Church (Ottawa)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Matthew's Anglican Church is an Anglican church in the Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1898 to serve the growing area it is the third oldest Anglican parish in central Ottawa after St. Alban's and St. Bartholomew's. The original building was a wooden structure designed by noted architect John W.H. Watts. Even with several additions this structure proved too small and in the late 1920s a fundraising effort to build the new church was launched. Work on a new church costing some $350,000 dollars began at the end of that decade. The work was only half-finished when the stock market collapsed in 1929 and the sources of funding dried up. The church was forced to go deeply into debt to complete the structure, a debt that was not paid off until 1962.
The church today is best known for its music, and it has a Casavant Frères organ dating from 1931. Stephen Candow is the Director of Music at St. Matthew's.
St. Matthew’s is recognized for its music program in Ottawa and beyond with its Choir of Men and Boys as well as its Choir of Women and Girls which, when combined for major concerts and special services, number about 100 singers. Past music directors include Gerald Wheeler, Brian Law, Richard Dacy, Andrew Teague, Matthew Larkin, and Christopher Argent. The church is also a concert venue for many local choir concerts, and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
Music has been an integral part of life and worship at St. Matthew's since the turn of the century. The Mission Statement of the church reads in part "St. Matthew's aspires to be a Christ-centred, nurturing parish which delights in its music ministry...and is committed to community service and partnership".
[edit] References
- Karyn Standen. "St. Matthew's `a focal point for community': Anglican church celebrates century of worship in the Glebe" Ottawa Citizen June 14, 1998.
[edit] External link
- Official site
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Street map from Mapquest or Google Maps
- Satellite image from Google Maps
- Topographical map from Maptech
