History

The TEMC was founded in 1984 in order to co-ordinate the activities of all those involved in early music in Toronto. For nine years, the TEMC sponsored a number of programs on an annual basis, including a concert series, a fair, a newsletter, workshops, and circles. However, during this time, the TEMC became increasingly specialized as a presenter of a concert series, and it drifted away from its original mandate, which was to function as an “umbrella group”. That specialization seemed justified because there was relatively little early music concert activity in Toronto at that time, while public demand for concerts was substantial. The series was consistently successful, providing a showcase for many local performers, and hosting international artists as Marion Verbruggen, Barthold Kuijken, The Gothic Voices, the Taverner Consort, the Tallis Scholars, Emma Kirkby and Anthony Rooley, Fretwork, Hopkinson Smith, Tragicomedia, Anner Bylsma, Nancy Argenta, and Daniel Taylor.

By 1992, at several other concert series had come into existence, and the TEMC did not wish to compete for audiences with the organizations it had intended to support. In addition, the series was using up so much of the TEMC’s resources that its other programs and activities were suffering. Even though the TEMC recognized the value of such concerts in achieving its educational mandate, the costs and risks associated with producing large concerts were another factor that had to be considered.

Eventually, the Board decided to focus its efforts on its core educational and audience development activities such as circles, lectures, annual fair, the Musically Speaking (at the Royal Ontario Museum) series, and newsletter.

Recently, the TEMC has provided aid, consultation and support for the presentation of international performing artists such as The Tallis Scholars, Il Giardino Armonico and the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra.

In December 1998, Classical Canada Concert Management (Ruth Taylor), the Canadian touring agent for the world-renowned vocal ensemble, The Tallis Scholars, approached the TEMC for assistance to help "save" their concert which was one of several programs that were cancelled (at the Ford Centre) due to Livent's declaration of bankruptcy. (The award-winning ensemble gave their Toronto debut in 1991 under the auspices of the TEMC.) Their program was re-located to St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (next to Roy Thomson Hall) and attracted a small but enthusiastic audience (about 300) on December 9th.

In February 1999, impressario Trevor Moat collaborated with the TEMC (as well as many others) to reclaim another cancelled Ford Centre program - the world-renowned baroque ensemble, Il Giardino Armonico. Through a tremendous community effort, this program (re-located to Trinity-St. Paul's United Church) was presented to a sold-out audience of 700 on February 8th.

In March 1999, with only five days notice, the TEMC presented the Canadian debut of the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra (known as Apollo's Fire) in their performance of Bach's St. John Passion which was re-located to St. Paul's Anglican Church due to a strike at the CBC. The executive producer of OnStage at the Glenn Gould Studio, Barbara MacKenzie Mahler, contacted the TEMC which acted quickly to "save" this program. Although the CBC had only sold about 150 tickets to that concert, the TEMC managed to attract almost 600 people on March 9th!

Recently, in March 2002, the TEMC, was instrumental in coordinating the joint recital of renowned British countertenor James and Canadian Daniel Taylor for what was billed as "a countertenor extravaganza." The audience of approximately 500 were well aware that this was both an extraordinary and historical event.