Kenneth Meek

Meek, Kenneth
Kenneth Meek. Organist, choirmaster, harpsichordist, composer, teacher, b Truro, Cornwall, England, 21 May 1908, d Montreal 18 Aug 1976; L MUS (McGill) 1927, B MUS (Toronto) 1936. A Canadian resident after 1914, he studied in Ottawa 1920-7 with Herbert Sanders and in Toronto in 1936 with Herbert Fricker. While teaching organ, piano, and theory in Ottawa 1924-39, in Kingston 1940-4, and in Montreal at McGill University (1945-76, his pupils including Mary Blaikie, Gian Lyman, Wayne Riddell, Gordon White, and Robert Wight), he was organist-choirmaster at churches in those cities, including the First Church of Christ Scientist, Ottawa, 1926-36 and Christ Church Cathedral 1956-65 and the Church of the Messiah, Montreal, 1965-76. Organist at the Church of St Andrew and St Paul in Montreal 1945-56, he presented the complete organ works of J.S. Bach in 12 recitals 1950-1. Meek's compositions include Trouvères (E.C. Schirmer 1961) and Ophelia's Songs (BMIC 1963) for recorder quartet, Three Easter Carols (BMIC 1957) and 'A Carol of Thanks' (Gray) for choir, Three Christmas Carols (Western 1951) for choir and organ, which has been recorded by the Tudor Singers of Montreal (RCI 491), and Three Plainsong Preludes (Gray 1959), Three Preludes (BMIC 1960), and The Agincourt Song (BMIC) for organ. The Tudor Singers have also recorded his Three Choral Songs for Easter (CBC Musica Viva MVCD-1039. Other works are listed in the Catalogue of Canadian Composers. His recording The Romantic Organ includes works by Bach, Reger, Franck, Widor, and Vierne (Laurentian CTM-6086). His papers have been deposited at McGill University.

Author Nadia Turbide