A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose

by an orchestra of one hundred skilled musicians, sang Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” and Gounod’s “Mors et Vita” with a degree of musical splendor that astonished every auditor. The soloists were of world-wide repute, being Fraulein Lilli Lehmann, Mrs. E. Aline Osgoode, Mrs. Gertrude Luther, Miss Agnes Huntington, Mr. Albert L. King, Mr. Max Heinrich, Mr. D. M. Babcock, Mr. Frederic Archer, Mr. Otto Bendix, Mme. Josephine Chatterton, Herr Henry Jacobsen, and Mr. Fred Warrington. Two miscellaneous concerts were also given in which the soloists and orchestra were assisted by a chorus of over one thousand three hundred school children, in whose training he was ably assisted by E. W. Schuch and A. P. Perrin. Mr. Torrington conducted these performances, which have been unparalleled outside of four or five of the largest American cities. The support and interest of the public were most gratifying, the receipts being $13,561.48, yielding a net profit, after all expenses were paid of $599.19, and entirely obviating the necessity of calling on the immense guarantee fund of $35,000. In the respect of being self-sustaining, the festival was unique, this rarely being the case, even in the largest cities of the United States. The ability of the city to provide such immense choral forces, and to support such an undertaking so liberally, may clearly be traced to the confidence placed in Mr. Torrington by the musical public, and to the great influence exerted by his unwearied efforts to advance and popularise the cause of true and pure music in Toronto. Mr. Torrington has laboured assiduously to organise a permanent orchestra in Toronto, and his efforts have been crowned with success; an efficient orchestra of sixty instrumentalists being now one of the chief musical features of the city, and one of its principal musical educators. Mr. Torrington’s wisdom in introducing the amateur element into this orchestra is shown by the fact that a well-balanced band, which is capable of performing oratorio accompaniments, is now in active life in the city. His labors have extended to Hamilton, where, as conductor of the Hamilton Philharmonic Society, he has produced “The Lay of the Bell,” “Messiah,” “Elijah,” “Hymn of Praise,” “Naaman,” “Rose of Sharon,” “The Three Holy Children,” and “Samson.” As conductor of the University College Glee Club, he has produced Mendelssohn’s music to “Antigone,” and Max Bruch’s “Frithjof.” As a composer, he has produced several church services, hymn tunes, organ voluntaries, secular choruses and songs. Mr. Torrington was brought up a member of the Church of England, but has for many years been connected with the Methodist church as organist. He is a Freemason, being a life member of Ionic lodge, Toronto, and is a fellow and gold medallist of the Society of Science, Letters and Art, London, England. He has also been, for the past five years, director of the musical department of the Ontario Ladies’ College, Whitby. * * * * * =Owens, John=, St. John, New Brunswick, an enterprising ship-builder and shipowner, but better known in these latter days as a public spirited and philanthrophic citizen, was born in St. John, New Brunswick, in the year 1790, and died in his native city in the year 1867. The Owens Art Institution of St. John is the outcome of his bequest “to be applied by his executors for the purpose of establishing a gallery, or school of art, for the instruction of young persons in drawing and other works of art.” The fact of this institution having been created without any outside assistance, and of its being operated with the view to be self-sustaining through voluntary support on its merits alone, warrants some reference to the circumstances which led up to its present efficiency as a thoroughly equipped art educational establishment. Hence, it may be said, the amount left for art purposes proving to be quite inadequate to effect the object as set forth, led the executors to believe the testator intended the amount so left to be merely a nucleus, to be added to by other persons desirous of promoting a love for the fine arts. From the outset the money was much sought after, but the fund remained unapplied, in consequence of all propositions for its use being destitute of the practical and financial accompaniments which the executors deemed absolutely necessary for the accomplishment of the object, in accordance with the terms of the will. A church property, together with a limited endowment fund, formed another bequest, vested in five trustees and their successors, the clergyman officiating in the church to be of either the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Independent or Episcopal persuasion. By reason of a combination of restrictions and limitations governing the trust, so much difficulty was experienced in its administration that a cessation of the church services took place in the year 1882, with little prospect of their early renewal. In this state of the two interests it became the opinion of the then sole surviving executor, Robert Reed, and the trustees of the church estate, namely, Robert Reed, Francis Jordan, Thomas Jordan, John Hegan, and Andrew D. Robertson, the latter having succeeded John Duncan, deceased, who was Mr. Owens’ business partner for about forty years, under the firm of Owens & Duncan, that if the several trusts were concentrated upon art, that object which the testator had in view might possibly be carried out; whereupon they joined in an application to the legislature to change the trusts, which was done by an act passed in the session of