Window on Yonge Street - Magical Memories at Yonge and Shuter

Window on Yonge Street - Magical Memories at Yonge and Shuter

My stamp business is located on the second floor of 211 Yonge Street in the heart of downtown Toronto. Hardly a day goes by in this busy area that you don't see a film crew, a parade, or some musical event taking place within walking distance. On Saturday September 21, 1996 Shuter Street was closed off between Yonge and Victoria for a special celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. When the TSO began it was under the direction of Conductor Luigi von Kunits, 1922-31, as it prepared for its first concert at Massey Hall on the afternoon of April 23, 1923. Many claim the TSO still sounds at its best in historic Massey Hall rather than at its new location at Thomson Hall.

Usually on a Saturday I will take me lunch at another historic landmark, the famous Silver Rail at 225 Yonge Street. They have a downstairs dining room and an upstairs bar and has the distinction of being the first bar in Toronto to serve mixed drinks after the rules were relaxed in 1947. They also serve fine food and offer a special brunch menu on Saturday. As I entered I noticed a large group of about 30 people at the far end of the tavern. I didn't focus in on any of them but sat relatively close to them in an area where I could watch the TV. However, there would be no watching of TV this day as I was soon joined by Eardley Samuels from the group at the back. My friend Eardley is a fellow member of my Rotary Club, the Toronto Rotary Club, which meets at the Royal York Hotel every Friday at noon hour. Eardley is also a fine bass singer and a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (founded in 1894) and he soon informed me that it was this very choir that was sitting at the back. They were there to have lunch in between rehearsals for the 3:00 pm 75th Anniversary TSO concert taking place at Massey Hall that very afternoon.

Since I was alone I had time to think about the Mendelssohn Choir and what a fine singing group and Toronto institution they are. I also noted an old friend at the bar, Lilian McCarthy-Ziegler, 94 years young, who has frequently played the piano in this bar. A plan started to formulate in my brain and after talking to her she said she had been afraid to play that day because she thought it was the Toronto Symphony sitting back there. I then asked if she would like to play the piano with the choir. She said she would love to and so I went back to speak to my friend Eardley. "No problem" he said, so off Eardley and I went to talk to Lilian and get the show on the road. After a brief solo warm up at the piano Lilian played "It's a long way to Tipperary" and Eardley and the others sang the well-known words in perfect harmony. It was such a fine rendition it surely should have been taped. Next came "Roll out the barrel" again done with the same enthusiastic singing of the Mendelssohn choir. Finally Eardley sang a solo with her for one of here favourites "When day is done".

Lilian's youngest daughter, Dana Joon of Global Television Network, had one picture left in her camera and used it to get a shot of some of us sitting with her mother. Our pianist told the group "God bless you everyone" and "I am so honoured". Let me tell you that this lowly writer was also very honoured and most thankful that he knew such wonderful people as Eardley and Lilian and was able to sing with them at the Silver Rail. A special thanks to The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir who once again proved to me that Toronto has a human side and is still the most wonderful city in the world.

John Talman

September 1996