Songs of Hope: An Evening of Violin & Piano Music Supporting Evangel Hall

Founded in 1913 by the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Evangel Hall Mission (ehm) is a community service agency delivering programs that address homelessness and poverty in Toronto. They strive to be a safe haven where people living with mental and physical health challenges, fighting addictions, and fleeing abuse can take a rest from their burdens and access supports to work towards brighter futures. ehm offers a continuum of care, meeting the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness and poverty, while also providing them with tools and community support to attain stable housing, financial independence, and self-sufficiency. We are pleased to support ehm’s important work in caring for the most vulnerable in our city. evangelhall.ca

Susan Spier began her career in Montreal where she was a tenured violinist with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and a programme annotator for the orchestra and the Montreal Pro Musica Society. She has also worked widely as a freelancer and chamber musician/recitalist in Ottawa and Toronto. She was a researcher/music subject editor for The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada and The Canadian Encyclopedia, has given courses in music appreciation at McGill and Metro Toronto Universities and appeared frequently as a lecture-recitalist including at several branches of the Toronto Public Library. She holds performance diplomas from McGill University (Licentiate) and the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec (Études Supérieures), a Fine Arts Degree (BFA) from Concordia University, and a Master of Arts in Musicology (MA) from the Université de Montréal. From 2002–2019 Susan taught at her private studio, Creative Strings, in Toronto.

Senan Whelan has been Director of Music at St. Jude’s, Wexford in Toronto since January 2005. He studied Piano with Mabel Quinn, Organ with William Watson and Viola with Herbert Poche (Deutsche Oper Berlin). He has worked as organist for the Anglican Communion since 1972. He has played Viola with the RTE Symphony (now known as the NSO) and RTE Concert orchestras in Ireland as well as the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra in Sydney, Australia. Besides an M.T.S. degree from U of T, (Trinity College) and a BSc (Hons.) degree from the National University of Ireland (UCD), he holds Fellowship (FTCL) and Licentiate (LTCL) diplomas in Organ performance from Trinity College of Music London and the Licentiate (LRSM) diploma of the Royal Schools of Music London in Organ teaching. He has given recitals in Ireland, Canada and Australia.

Among Toronto venues where Susan and Senan have collaborated are St. Jude’s Wexford, Metropolitan United Church, and Living Hope Baptist Church.

Host or Publisher Knox Church