{"id":104934,"date":"2024-06-11T14:42:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T18:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=104934"},"modified":"2024-06-12T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T12:00:02","slug":"scoop-fire-devastated-torontos-st-annes-anglican-church-also-claimed-harpsichord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/06\/11\/scoop-fire-devastated-torontos-st-annes-anglican-church-also-claimed-harpsichord\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SCOOP | Fire That Devastated Toronto\u2019s St. Anne\u2019s Anglican Church Also Claimed A Harpsichord"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L-R:
L-R: St. Anne\u2019s Anglican Church in happier times (28 March 2009\/Photo: SimonP<\/a>\/CC by SA 3.0<\/a>); A 15th century harpsichord from the Metropolitan Museum collection (Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (“CCO 1.0 Dedication<\/a>“)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On June 9, a fire destroyed the historic and beloved St. Anne\u2019s Anglican Church on Gladstone Avenue in the city\u2019s west end. The fire made national headlines because of the rare treasures on its walls \u2014 paintings by the Group of Seven artists.<\/p>\n

Among the items lost was a harpsichord \u2014 not one belonging to the church, but to musician Ron Greidanus, who was set to perform a concert the very afternoon of the tragedy.<\/p>\n

Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire, but along with the irreplaceable artwork and historic architecture, Ron\u2019s harpsichord is no more.<\/p>\n

St. Anne\u2019s Anglican<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

St. Anne\u2019s was designated designated as a historic site under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1980, and as a national historic site of Canada in 1996.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The church was empty and locked when the blaze began, with its cause still a mystery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a devastating loss for the community,\u201d Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters<\/a> in a statement given at the scene of the fire.<\/p>\n

Ron Greidanus, a recitalist and accompanist<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s performed as a solo recitalist in London, Florida, and Vienna as a guest of the Rachmaninoff Society.<\/p>\n

As a conductor, he specializes in Baroque performance. On returning to Canada after studying Piano Performance \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n