The Sisters of St. Joseph have a long history of music instruction. The St. Joseph’s School of Music traces its beginnings back to 1914, when the Sisters of St. Joseph first took up residence at Sacred Heart Convent in London, Ontario, and began formal music instruction, due to the initiative taken by Sister Ursula McGuire and Sister Patricia Mallon. The school was quite successful and soon after its opening, Sister Patricia Mallon was recalled from Goderich to lead the school. The school's earliest known music recital took place in 1919; however, it wasn't until the early 1920s that the school was established as the Sacred Heart School of Music. The music ministry has an even longer history, though, as individual Sisters were offering music lessons in small mission houses and schools throughout Ontario as early as 1867.
In the early days of the Sisters’ music ministry and the Sacred Heart School of Music, music studios were established in a number of schools within the London Separate School Board, and Sisters would visit the schools once or twice a week to teach. These schools included St. Michael, St. Martin, Holy Cross, Holy Rosary, Blessed Sacrament and St. Peter’s Catholic Schools. By 1929, the music ministry had 27 music teachers, and the Sisters offered music instruction in Windsor, Belle River, Leamington, Goderich, St. Mary’s, Ingersoll, Woodstock and St. Thomas in Ontario, as well as in Edmonton, Alberta. That year, Sister Callistus Arnsby was appointed Community Music Supervisor and Principal of the Sacred Heart School of Music. She was responsible for creating uniformity in policies and structure throughout the schools, and for helping the Sisters to grow professionally.
The Sacred Heart School of Music’s instructors studied and were trained themselves at the London Conservatory of Music (1892-1922), which later became the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music (1934-1997). Some of the Sisters also received special instruction in violin and piano teaching from a well-known musician of the time, Mr. St. John Hyttenruck.
The Sisters originally taught a program of studies based on the examination requirements of the Toronto Conservatory of Music (now the Royal Conservatory of Music). Students could take annual examinations, with examiners from the conservatory coming to the school for the exams. However, when the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music was established in London in 1934, the Sacred Heart School of Music began following its courses and requirements instead.
As the years went on, the Sacred Heart School of Music continued to grow. School policies were instituted, student recitals took place regularly, scholarships and awards were established, and bi-annual report cards were issued to students. There was even a music library. In the 1940s, the Sacred Heart Concert Orchestra was formed by Sister Immaculata Brophy. Originally a string ensemble, the orchestra eventually expanded to include wind, bass and percussion instruments. The Sacred Heart Concert Orchestra played frequently at important civic and religious events and gave annual concerts in London and other nearby cities until the late 1940s when it disbanded.
When the new Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse opened in 1954, the music school was relocated there, and its name was changed to the St. Joseph School of Music. The new St. Joseph School of Music contained larger, modern facilities, including St. Cecilia’s Recital Hall and adjoining music studios for teaching and practice. However, some of the school’s original studios were still retained, such as the studio at 429 Colborne St., a small house across the street from the Sacred Heart Convent, which continued to be used for teaching until 1973.
In addition to piano and violin instruction, the Sisters also offered vocal instruction. In fact, Sister Mary Margaret Childs organized several choirs over the years, including a senior girls’ choir called the School of Christ Choristers and a junior choir called the Little Radio Choir. In 1963, she formed a choir of her own senior vocal students called the St. Cecilia Singers who sang a repertoire of sacred songs, folk songs, popular songs, plain chant, and carols. The St. Cecilia Singers made quite a name for themselves, touring throughout Canada and the United States and winning many awards at Rotary and Kiwanis Music Festivals. The choir is still in existence today as part of the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University. By 1972, the St. Joseph’s School of Music had an enrolment of approximately 400 students, and lessons were offered in piano, violin, singing, and music theory. At this point the school had 30 teachers, seven of whom were Sisters.
In September 1982, the St. Joseph's School of Music was amalgamated with the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music on the University of Western Ontario campus. The St. Joseph's School of Music programs continued, its teachers were invited to join the conservatory staff, and its students were able to continue with their same teachers. By 1993, only three Sisters remained teaching at the conservatory. Shortly thereafter, the three Sisters began teaching independently again, offering independent instruction at the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. In 2014, Sister Caroline Bering was the sole Sister still offering music instruction, with one student under her tuition.
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Title is based on the contents of the fonds.
This sous-fonds contains materials related to the activities of the St. Joseph's School of Music, including rosters of staff and students, music festival results, sheet music, photographs and scrapbooks.
The records were transferred from the St. Joseph's School of Music to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada - London site archives.
No further accruals are expected.
November 6, 2023
The records are located at The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Archives.
Some records in S003 are restricted to public access.
The Archives reserves the right to restrict access to the collection depending on the condition of the archival material, the amount of material requested, and the purpose of the research. The use of certain materials may also be restricted for reasons of privacy or sensitivity, or under a donor agreement. Access restrictions will be applied equally to all researchers and reviewed periodically. No researcher will be given access to any materials that contain a personal information bank such as donor agreements or personnel records, or to other proprietary information such as appraisals, insurance valuations, or condition reports.
Permission to study archival records does not extend to publication or display rights. The researcher must request this permission in writing from the Archives.
There is a series and file list available.
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Series consists of collected chronicles of Sisters’ reminiscences, including newspaper clippings, reports and staff newsletters, as well as correspondence, histories of the music ministry and the Colborne Street branch of the school, and memoirs.
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The students participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival, as well as Rotary Club Music Festivals that were held yearly in London and the surrounding area.
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Series consists of results of local music festival competitions. Information contained in the files includes the names and grades of participating students, the names of prize winners and the names of teachers whose students entered the competitions.
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This series consists of documents generated by the school’s administrative activities.
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Sub-series consists of listings of student award winners, student rosters, student exam results, scholarship fund documents, programs, syllabus, information related to workshops, a scrapbook, and certificates for Sister Janet Zadorsky.
Items from file F01-SF03-S003-01-05 have been separated to box 3 due to size and conservation concerns.
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The sub-series consists of staff directories, staff memos, staff meeting agendas, minutes and notes, principal’s reports, programmes, correspondence, schedules, calendars of events, awards lists, lecture notes, salary schedules, newspaper articles, and enrollment information.
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Sub-series consists of records related to Sacred Heart School of Music [1919-1947] and Mount Saint Joseph School of Music [1963-1984]. The records consist of brochures, newspaper articles, recital hall photos, materials related to the community music workshops (newspaper clippings, exercise book, music teacher’s workshop program, schedule, and demonstration lectures), music and recital programs, lists of music teachers, posters, correspondence, announcements, tuition information, forms, and policies and guidelines.
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The St. Cecilia Singers were formed in 1963 by Sister Mary Margaret Childs, a singer and voice teacher at St. Joseph’s School of Music. Sister Mary Margaret studied with several prominent teachers in both London and Toronto. She formed several other choirs at the school including the School of Christ Choristers (a senior girls’ choir) and a junior choir known as the Little Radio Choir.
The St. Cecilia Singers were made up of Sister Mary Margaret’s own senior vocal students at St. Joseph’s School of Music. The St. Cecilia Singers performed at many functions, won many awards at Rotary and Kiwanis Festivals, and went on several tours across Canada and the United States.
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Series consists of press articles, correspondence (including correspondence with the Rotary Club of St. Thomas), event programmes, a scrapbook, a photograph album, photographs, and a certificate.
Items from files F01-SF03-S004-02 and F01-SF03-S004-03 have been separated to box 3 due to size and conservation concerns.
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In 1982, the St. Joseph’s School of Music amalgamated with the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music and ceased to exist as a separate entity.
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Series consists of materials related to the St. Joseph’s School of Music’s becoming part of the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, including correspondence, ephemera, and *Independent and Affiliated Non-Profit Conservatory Type Music Schools in Canada: A Speculative Survey* by G. Campbell Trowsdale.
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Series consists of scrapbooks of event programmes, posters, lists of award winners, scholarship lists, press clippings, and photographs.
Items from files F01-SF03-S006-01 and F01-SF03-S006-01 have been separated to box 3, F01-SF03-S006-03 has been separated to box 4, and F01-SF03-S006-04, F01-SF03-S006-05, F01-SF03-S006-06 have been separated to box 5 and due to size and conservation concerns.
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This series of photographic materials consists of photograph albums and a file of photographs and negatives. The photographs concern events such as performances and recitals, awards and graduation ceremonies, reunions, conventions, and sisters teaching.
Items from files F01-SF03-S007-03, F01-SF03-S007-04, and F01-SF03-S007-05 have been separated to box 5 and due to size and conservation concerns.
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Series consists of three church service books of music and lyrics. These are *English Propers for the Mass* by The Felician Sisters, *The Sung Mass for Feast Days* by Columba Kelly, and *Plainsong Propers* by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood.
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