building bridges Education has always been—and always will be— part of Massey Hall’s core mandate. or much of the first 60 years of its history, Massey Hall was a community hub as much as it was a concert theatre. Sure, it was the home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and it was the venue of choice for international acts making a local stop. But it was also the premier stage for local performing groups and ethnic communities, whether it was a “Sons of Scotland concert,” a Ukraine bandurist group, a Korean children’s choir, or a “calypso fiesta.” (Reading more than a century’s worth of show listings at Massey Hall also reveals Toronto’s changing demographics over the decades). St. Michael’s Choir School and the Toronto District School Board have long histories of Christmas and spring concerts at Massey Hall; generations of Toronto children have stood on Massey’s historic stage either with their school or a youth group, including the Toronto Youth Symphony.
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In Hart Massey’s deed of gift to the venue’s trustees back in 1894, the industrialist decreed that Massey Hall be available for the “musical, educational and industrial advancement of the people, the cultivation of good citizenship and patriotism, the promotion of philanthropy, religion and temperance, and for holding meetings and entertainments consistent with any of the above purposes.”
As Toronto grew and more venues were built— of various sizes and purposes, some geared toward specific audiences—Massey Hall evolved into primarily a home for marquee acts both national and international; renting the hall became more expensive. But Massey Hall’s commitment to education never waned; in 1999 it started the Share the Music program, bringing Sharing the music
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