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RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4722
Part Of
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Description Level
Fonds
GMD
multiple media
Part Of
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
RG 5
GMD
multiple media
History / Biographical
This record group was artifically created in January 2007 by Tom Mitchell and Christy Henry of the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The record group consists of various fonds and collections concerned with the political, cultural, social, and educational life of western Manitoba. See the Subject Access field for a list of titles.
Notes
Description written by Christy Henry (2007).
Subject Access
Joseph H. Hughes
Canadian Federation of University Women
Verna Gamey
Brandon Cinema Club
Birtle Indian Residential School
Brandon Assisted Passage Association
Binscarth Women's Institute
Griswold School District
Manitoba School Trustees Regional Association
Riverbank/Berbank Red Cross
A.C. Miller
C.J. Barnes
David Sommerville Charleson
Southwest A Region Manitoba Women's Institute
Berbank Ladies Aid
Berbank Church
Blyth Protestant School District #471
Crown Protestant School District #184
Ward Watson
Laurie V. Smith
Marion Doig
Elm Creek/Wingham Branch United Farmers of Manitoba
Roseland Church
Fairfax United Church
Humesville & Forrest Women's Missionary Society
Chater Protestant School District
William Wallace
United Grain Growers
G.R. Rowe
Cecil Herbert Edward Johnston
Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium
Brandon Art Club
James Duncan McGregor
Stephan Adolph Magnacca
Harry "Hap" Fraser
Leslie Victor Robson
Bertha School District #861
Manitoba Genealogical Society
Brandon Golf & Country Club
Keystone Centre Development and Construction
Manitoba Elevator Company
B.J. Hales
Brandon Council of Women
Westman Oral History
Mildred (Mollie) Kellet
Gerald McKinney
Janet Donnelly
Minnedosa OddFellows
Basswood OddFellows
Archibald E. Wilson
Audrey Silvius
Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir
Lawrence Stuckey
Minnedosa Women's Institute
Clanwilliam Women's Institute
Cordova Women's Institute
Crocus Women's Institute
Rathwell Women's Institute
Strathclair Women's Institute
Manitoba Women's Institute
Brandon Business & Professional Women's Club
Minnedosa Business & Professional Women's Club
Neepawa Business & Professional Women's Club
Brandon Women's Musical Club
International Toastmistress Club - Land O'Lakes Region
Fred McGuinness
Reg Forbes
Jack Stothard
Janet Louisa May More
William J. Birtles
Ruby Miles
Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Brandon & District Labour Council (CLC)
Westman Multi-Cultural Council
Westman Coalition on Equality Rights
Martin Kavanagh
James Buckley
James Douglas Wall
Brandon Women's Institute
Trilliam Business & Professional Women's Club
Westridge Senior Citizens
Kodaly in Manitoba
WARUCC - Western Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada
Margaret Laurence Endowment
Douglas Women's Institute
Albert Angus Murray McPherson
Edward Walker
Alexander MacPhail
Inventory of Archival Material in Western Manitoba Project
Greenway Fair
Brandon Hills Busy Bees
Prairie Horizons Toastmistress Club
Grand Valley School District #206
Douglas Brolund
Norma Laird
Brandon Square Dancing Club
Tully McKenzie
Basswood School District
Anna Enns
Frank Robb
Bankburn School District
John Crawford
J.C. Cousins
William Ridley Sheridan Wade
Mary Schwalm
Robert (Bert) Lane
Ross Hume
Quincy H. Martinson
Helen Dutka
Dorothy Frances Davidson
Brandon Sno-Goers Snowmobile Club
Brandon Folk, Music & Art Society, Inc.
Baker family
Brandon Daily Sun microfilm
Western Manitoba Home Economic Association
Hubert Weidenhamer
Len Evans
Henry Hlady
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
Westman Recycling Council
Herbert Goodland
Storage Location
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Arrangement
The fonds and collections in RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection have been arranged primarily by accession number.
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Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir fonds

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions14288
Part Of
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Description Level
Fonds
GMD
multiple media
Date Range
1965-1980, predominant 25 May 1965 - 30 September 1976
Accession Number
8-2001, 13-2016
Part Of
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection
Description Level
Fonds
Accession Number
8-2001, 13-2016
GMD
multiple media
Date Range
1965-1980, predominant 25 May 1965 - 30 September 1976
Physical Description
12 cm textual records
6 b/w photographs (loose)
1 artefact
Physical Condition
Some of the items in the scrapbook have come loose from their pages, some documents are stained from a liquid, likely coffee
History / Biographical
In 1965, Chris Verhoef, member of the Overture Concert Association, Allied Arts Centre, and Brandon Citizens' Commitee for the Performing Arts, called for a meeting of Western manitoba citizens interested in the prospect of a Philharmonic Choir for the region. The meeting took place on 26 May 1965; the steering committee that gathered, led by Margaret Goodman, undertook the formation of the Choir. The Choir would have an Executive consistign of at least four members, and a committee consisting of a minimum seven members. Each executive member would be elected on an annual basis. The Choir's executive, in collaboration with the conductor, would determine the choir's repertoire for the year. The establishment of the Western Manitoba PHilharmonic Choir (WMPC) sought to encourage amateurs to sing for enjoyment, provide the opportunity for a choir to perform choral compositions in collaboration with a symphony orchestra and promote and sponsor the musical arts in the Western Manitoba region. Membership to the choir would be open to all citizens of the region, and members would be accepted based on the discretion of the conductor. The first meeting of prospective members took place on 27 September 1965 in St. Matthews Cathedral parish Hall where more than 90 people gathered and registered to become a member of the WMPC. Chris Verhoef led the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir into its first season as President of the choir's Executive Committee. For the organization's first season, the WMPC hired two members of the Brandon College School of Music: Lucien Needham for the position of conductor and Louise Chapman for the position of accompanist. Brandon College, as well as other donors sponsored the choir for its first season. The Choir held its debut performance in collaboration with the Winnipeg Sympnay Orchestra (WSO) on 12 March 1966, and the Choir's performance of Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Dettingen te Deum attracted an audience of more than 1400 people. The performance was well received by the public. The debut performance's asuccess earned the CHoir a rcommendation for a grant from the Manitoba Centennial Corporation that would sponsor a special concert during the centennial year. Furthermore, the Canada Council supported the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, by the means of special funds, to make the Symphony's appearance witht he Philharmonic Choir possible. For the WMPC's second season, membership rose to 111 amateur singers. Verhoef remained as President of the Executive, while the Brandon Citizens' Committee for the Performing Arts provided sponsorship. Following the Choir's performance of Schubert's Mass in Eb Major on 17 November 1966, the membership increased to 132 singers. On 20 January 1967, the WMPC's first taped broadcast was released over CBC and CKX. The broadcast's success resulted in an offer from CBC to record another broadcast for a similar release. The Kiwanis Club of Rivers invited the Choir to perform in Rivers on 25 january 1967. On 7 April 1967, the Choir performed Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, in the Brandon College Gymnasium. The choir elected Murray Ames as President to lead it through its thrid and fourth seasons. In its third season, the WMPC, conducted by Leonard Mayoh, performed Handel's Messiah on 22 November 1967 in the Brandon University Gymnasium. The Choir's spring concert, name the "Chris Verhoef Memorial Concert," in honour of Chris Verhoef who had passed away December 1967, featured works by Bach, Brahms and Perry. Held on 9 March 1968, in the Brandon University Gymansium, the concert featured Brandon university student James Stewart as soloist and was received with great praise. In addition to the memorial concert, the WMPC also established a $500 scholarship for a Brandon University music student to honour Verhoef's substantial contribution to the community. The first concert of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's fourth season was held on 10 December 1968, in the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre at Brandon University and featured selections from Handel's Messiah. A piano trio comprised of Francis Chaplin (violin), Malcom Tait (cello) and Gordon Macpherson (piano), as well as a brass trio, also performed at the chori's winter concert. In its fourth season, the WMPC performed two concerts in the second half of its season. On 15 FEbrurary 1969, in cooperation with CKX Radio and Television, the choir performed works by Mozart, Hindemith, and Mahler in collaboration with the Winnipeg Sympony Orchestra conducted by George Cleve. Later in the season, the choir performed Brahms' Requiem Mass, once again in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Dr. R. Parker filled the position of President of the Executive for the duration of the Choir's fifth, sixth and seventh seasons. The fifth season saw the WMPC performing four concerts. Conducted by Leonard Mayoh, it opened its season on 11 october 1969 with a performance at the Grand Finale of the Grand Opening of the Western manitoba Centennial Auditorium, performing theoverture to Mozart's The Magic Flute and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Their Christmas concert, also conduceted by Mayoh, took place on 10 December 1969. The Choir's third concert of its fifth season was held on 31 january 1970, in cooperation with CKX RAdio and Television, and featured works by Mendelssohn, Ravel, and Schubert, in collaboration with the WSO under the direction of conductor George Cleve. The season concluded with another concert in collaboration with the WSO on 7 March 1970, conducted by Leonard Mayoh. This concert featured works by Vaughn Williams, Handel and Poulenc. Seasons six and seven consisted of two concerts each. The Choir held its fifth annual Christmas Concert on 5 December 1970. Led by Leonard Mayoh, it performed its spring concert on 10 April 1971 in collaboration with members from the Winnipeg Symphony, featuring selections by Bach and Mozart in the Western manitoba Centennial Auditorium. Into its seventh season, the Choir performed Bach's Christmas Oratorio on 4 December 1971 in the Central United Church. For its final concert of the year, the WMPC revisited a piece that had been the main focus of its second season: Haydn's oratorio, The Creation. The Choir performed this Haydn masterwork on 8 April 1972 under the direction of Piero Gamba. Helen Riesberry led the choir through its eigth and ninth seasons as President of the Executive. In its eigth season, the WMPC held its annual Christmas concert on 12 December 1972 in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in the style of a sing-along led by Mitch Miller. The choir's spring concert featured another masterwork, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, conducted by Piero Gamba. The WMPC and members of the WSO performed the Requiem Mass on 28 April 1973 at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. Despite the lack of attendance at rehearsals since the Christmas concert, the WMPC presented an overall effective performance of the challenging Requiem Mass. In its ninth season, Derek Morphy took over the position of conductor from Leonard Mayoh. Morphy had his debut performance as conductor with the WMPC at the annual Christmas concert on 17 December 1973. In March 1974, in collaboration with members from the WSO, Morphy led the Choir in its performance of Mendelssohn's oratorio, Elijah, in the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. later in the season, the choir performed a concert entitled "Reflections," a choral programme for Lent and Easter, accompanied by organist Arthur Bower. Nearing the end of its ninth season, the Philharmonic Choir encountered severe financial challenges. The Choir released a notice in the newspaper that the anticipated $3000 grant from the Manitoba Arts Council had been cut to $1000, leaving the Choir $3100 in debt. The notice explained that the Choir needed funds in order to enable operation and continue hiring the WSO for concerts. The WMPC executive and committee held a Leonard Mayoh Night in an attempt to gain funds and donations. Although the Manitoba Arts Council raised thegrant to $2000 and the City of Brandon contributed $500, the Choir's financial situation remained in a dire state as its ninth season came to a close. The Choir elected Edith Hayden to lead it through its tenth and eleventh seasons as President of the Executive. The opening of the tenth season challenged the WMPC. In addition to its financial woes, the Choir's Executive struggled to overcome the lack of attendance at rehearsals and the shortage of male voices. The WMPC had experienced membership issues in earlier seasons as well. In its third season, despite a membership of 130 individuals, the choir had struggled to create a balanced sound due to a lack of male membership and therefore a lack of lower voices. In its sixth season, the Choir opened their concert year with an appeal for members. In an effort to improve the choir's financial affairs, the Choir Executive and conductor decided against hiring the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the time being. In an attempt to improve the situation, Derek Morphy wrote a letter to the members of the Choir outlining his concern that he may not be meeting their expectations as a conductor but hoped to generate positive and hopeful prospects for the future of music-making together. The Choir's annual Christmas concert featured a collaboration with the Brandon School Division Music Department and Brandon School Orchestra and Band Association, as well as dancers choreographed by Barbra Enhes. The WMPC performed Haydn's Mass in D minor at its spring concert on 27 April 1975, accompanied by Arthur Bower. By the end of the season, the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's financial situation had begun to improve. The WMPC hired conductor peter Allen to lead the Chori through its final season of operation. The Choir held its annual Christmas concert in the Central United Church on 7 December 1975, and featured Vivaldi's Glora, accompanied by pianist Barry Anderson. The choir perfomed Deller's Psalm 148, Teleman's Cantata for the Fourth Sunday after the Feast of the Three Kings, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater at its spring concert held at the Central United Church on 25 April 1976. Despite its best efforts, the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's first rehearsal of its twelfth season saw just 26 members in attendance. As a result of lack of membership, the Choir Executive decided to disband the WMPC for its 1976/1977 season, with plans to reassess the situation in September of 1977 for the prospect of a 1977/1978 season. Matters were further complicated by financial considerations; by June 1977 the choir's financial situation had worsened as a result of the administrative fees that the WMPC covered for the duration of its unexpected inactive 1976/1977 season. Unlike past years, there were not any ticket sales to cover such expenses. Following its year off, membership interest in the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir did not increase and the decision was made not to return for another season. In 1980, the WMPC revoked its registration as an organization and officially ceased to exist.
Custodial History
Records in the 8-2001 accession were donated to the McKee Archives in 2001, by three representatives of the Philharmonic Choir: Dr. Bill Paton, Botany Department, Brandon University; Mrs. Edith Hayden, WMPC President; and Mary Davidson WMPC Archives Committee. Records in accession 13-2016 were given to Terry Stamper in the School of Music by Marilyn Hayden and then transferred to the McKee Archives on September 21, 2015.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records that document the origin, activities, and ultimate disbandment of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir. These records were created and accumulated during the eleven year existence of the WMPC. Records include: the organization's constitution and history from 1965-1968; financial records, which include grants received from the Manitoba Arts Council, Canada Council, and City of Brandon, as well as materials documenting the organization's financeial struggles from 1974-1976; minutes from executive and committee meetings from 18 June 1973 to 24 June 1974; correspondence in the form of letters between the president of the executive and the choir members, and between the conductor of the choir and its members; membership lists from each season of the WMPC; and concert programmes from every major Christmas and Spring concert that the organization performed. Fonds also contains mewspaper notices, advertisements and reviews of various performances, as well as posters advertising perfomrances of the WMPC in the 1967/68, 1970/71, 1971/72 and 1973/74 seasons; the posters advertise the choir, collaborators, patrons and featured works. Also included in the fonds is a scrapbook detailing the choir's history. Each page of the scrapbook is decorated with hand painted images of plants native to the southwestern Manitoba region. The scrapbook includes concert programs and photographs of the choir from all years of the organization's operation. The scrapbook also contains an assorment of informal photographs from various WMPC events. There are also six black and white group photos of the WMPC from various seasons. Finally, the fonds contains one artifact, a leather bag/zippered file folder with "WMPC" printed on it.
Notes
History/Bio information was provided by representatives of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir. Copies of the history can be found in the fonds. Description by Jessi Gilchrist (October 2016).
Name Access
Chris Verhoef
Margaret Goodman
St. Matthews Cathedral
Lucien Needham
Louise Chapman
Manitoba Centennial Corporation
Canada Council
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Brandon College
Kiwanis Club
CKX
Helen Reisberry
Mary Donovan
Tom Inglis
Humphrey Davies
Muriel Bain
H.V. Kidd
Eileen Christ
Brandon College Auditorium
CBC Radio
J.M. Donovan
Murray Ames
Dr. R. Parker
Henry Stein
Ernie Pearn
Gerry Streuber
Dorothy McLean
Mayme Tucker
Margaret George
Bob Blair
Bud Keenan
Marilyn Johnston
Sister Mary Rose
Lou Brown
Jeanine Baker
Muriel Patmore
Leonard Mayoh
Jim Cory
Eric Davies
Phil Ricou
Elaine Dechka
Lester Spinaze
Archie Miller
High Rest
Lorna hamilton
Ruth Cutforth
Ollie Timkiw
Thelma Findogasson
A. Bayne
Dick Vanderveen
Lee Donnelly
M. Rogosin
Ken Nichols
Manitoba Arts Council
Piero Gamba
Mary Graham
Reuben Gurevich
Leonard Stone
Brandon Area Foundation
Arthur Bower
Derek Murphy
Judy Pringle
Irma Peters
John Martens
Robert Publow
Brandon Citizens' Committee for the Performing Arts
Brandon Musical Supply
P.A. Kennedy
Bond Books
Brandon Public Library
Phylis Thomson
Hilda Miller
Arthur Janzen
Walter Deller
Nora Needham
Jean Dorian
Margaret hammond
Eileen Blain
Brian Bailey
Brandon College Gymnasium
Brandon University School of Music
G.R. Rowe
Sylvia Richardson
Peter Koslowsky
Nelson Lohnes
James Stewart
Francis Chaplin
Malcolm Tait
Gordon Macpherson
J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre
Lorne Watson
Donald Henry
Lawrence Jones
Alice Hekster
Walter Hekster
Hilda Dridger
Elizabeth Grant
Dorothy Froese
Robert Ford
James Mendenhall
Colin Cooper
Allison Ryles
Joy Crawford
Audrey Farnell
Maxine Miller
Smith Miller
Brandon Sun
Barbra Ehnes
Brandon School Division Music Department
Brandon School Orchestra and Band Association
Barbra Landry
Kiwanis Club of Rivers
Subject Access
philharmonic choirs
amateur choirs
amateur musicians
symphony orchestra
philharmonic
classical music performance ensemble
cultural organizations
music
community organizations
Storage Location
2001 accessions
Related Material
School of Music records
Lorne Watson collection
Lawrence Jones collection
Brandon Women's Musical Club fonds
Francis Chaplin collection
Brandon Festival of the Arts fonds
Fred McGuinness collection
CKX fonds
Music and the Brandon Community collection
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