On June 9, a fire destroyed the historic and beloved St. Anne’s Anglican Church on Gladstone Avenue in the city’s west end. The fire made national headlines because of the rare treasures on its walls — paintings by the Group of Seven artists.
Among the items lost was a harpsichord — not one belonging to the church, but to musician Ron Greidanus, who was set to perform a concert the very afternoon of the tragedy.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire, but along with the irreplaceable artwork and historic architecture, Ron’s harpsichord is no more.
St. Anne’s Anglican
The church was built in 1907-1908, designed by architect William Ford Howland, who won a competition with his neo-Byzantine proposal. The neo-Byzantine style is rare in Canada. According to the church’s documentation, the Group of Seven painted murals were commissioned in 1923 from J.E.H. MacDonald, who then contracted other artists to contribute to the illustrations of the life of Christ, including other members of the Group of Seven. They decorated the dome and chancel.
St. Anne’s was designated designated as a historic site under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1980, and as a national historic site of Canada in 1996.
Sadly, the church is said to have been completely decimated by the blaze, which was reported on the morning of June 9, but was well underway when firefighters arrived.
The church was empty and locked when the blaze began, with its cause still a mystery.
“This is a devastating loss for the community,” Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters in a statement given at the scene of the fire.
Ron Greidanus, a recitalist and accompanist
A pianist, harpsichordist, and conductor, Ron Greidanus, has performed with orchestras and ensembles from the Vancouver to the Rochester Philharmonics, and Brampton Symphony, among others. He’s performed as a solo recitalist in London, Florida, and Vienna as a guest of the Rachmaninoff Society.
As a conductor, he specializes in Baroque performance. On returning to Canada after studying Piano Performance — Piano at the Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Ron founded the Georgetown Bach Chorale. He has been a featured guest conductor with the Brampton Symphony Orchestra.
Ron is the Music Director of Christ Church in Brampton, and he has worked with a number of ensembles throughout Southwestern Ontario as a soloist and accompanist.
- A crowdfunding account has been set up to help Ron pay for a new harpsichord, and you can donate if you wish [HERE].
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