Frederick C. Silvester

Frederick Caton New Year's Eve ( born January 21, 1901 in Darwen, † June 24, 1966 in Toronto ) was an organist, choirmaster and composer.

Life

New Year's Eve studied the organ first in England, then in 1921 at Lynnwood Farnam in Saskatoon. During this time he was organist at the First Baptist Church and the Knox United Church. In 1929 he moved to Toronto, where he (later The Royal Conservatory of Music) with Ernest MacMillan and Healey Willan Organ music theory and composition studied at the Toronto Conservatory of Music. From 1931 to 1938 he was organist at the Church of the Messiah, and from 1938 to 1966 at the Bloor Street United Church, where he also worked as a choir director. He played organ concerts in many parts of Canada and CBC. From 1945 to 1947 he was President of the Canadian College of Organists, now the Royal Canadian College of Organists. In the years 1957-1960 he headed the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. He wrote some short chorale preludes and songs. He became a teacher of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould in organ Larger notoriety.