Calvin Choir
Music Director
He attended Queen’s University, where he was a piano and organ major, studying with Pierre Jasmin. He was also organist for the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Kingston. After two years, he transferred to McGill University, completing a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in composition. His professors included Brian Cherney, alcides lanza, and John Rea. He began to compose for theatre and
He continued his studies at the University of Southern California, where he attended the graduate program in composition for motion pictures and television, completing his work there in 1989. His professors included Henry Mancini, Bruce Broughton, Jerry Goldsmith, and Buddy Baker. While living in California, Sandy arranged and orchestrated music for Disneyland, the John Williams concert series at The Hollywood Bowl, and composed music for the television program In the Heat of the Night.
When he returned to Canada, he settled in Toronto, where he became an orchestrator for the Toronto Symphony, organist and choir director at Coldstream (now Celebration) Presbyterian Church, and the first composer for CBC-NewsWorld. He also taught and conducted choirs with the Toronto District School Board, and the North York Board of Education, earning an outstanding teaching award in 1998. He also continued his association with the Thousand Islands Playhouse, composing many scores for plays, directing most of their musicals, and occasionally performing small roles.
In 1997, Sandy entered the graduate program in musicology at the University of Toronto, earning a Master in music in 1999 and a PhD in 2006. His doctoral work deals with seventeenth century Venetian opera. While studying at the University of Toronto, Sandy taught at the University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. He also spent three years as a lecturer at McMaster University, where he was nominated for outstanding teaching for a first year lecturer in 2004.
Sandy began giving pre-performance chats at the Canadian Opera Company in 2000. He is founding editor and managing editor of the online music journal Discourses in Music. Sandy is also an accomplished harpsichordist. He also cooks quite well. He lives in Bloor West Village with noted actress, Ramona Gilmour-Darling, and is delighted to begin his association with Calvin Presbyterian Church.
Music and Worship
The Calvin choir consists of church members, all of whom share a love of church music. The
choir sings every Sunday morning during the worship service from September to June. A variety
of works is sung from all historical periods. New members are always very welcome. A steady
commitment and some music reading ability are required for membership in the choir. In return,
choristers enjoy the group's camaraderie, and share in the wonderful responsibility of leading
praise for an appreciative congregation in a magnificent building.
Dr. Sandy Thorburn began his study of music while growing up in France, at the Paris Conservatoire. When he returned to Canada, he began to study piano, theory, highland drumming, and violin seriously. By the time Sandy finished high school, he had completed his studies at the Royal Conservatory in piano and theory, and had started studying the organ with Edward Brown at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kingston. He had also performed at the World Championships for highland drumming in Scotland, placing first in Grade IV.
film while still a student at McGill, working for the Thousand Islands Playhouse and the National Film Board.
Join us any Sunday of the year from September to June and you will hear Calvin Choir presenting
a varied repertoire of choral music designed to be integrated with the readings, hymns and
sermon of the day accompanied by our 1927 three-manual Casavant pipe organ.