Bruce Anderson Carey (16 November 1876 – 8 May 1960) was a Canadian

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

, and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

. He began his career in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

, where he notably founded the Bach-Elgar Choir in 1905. After directing that ensemble for seventeen years, he moved to Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in the United States where he was conductor of two famous choruses: the Mendelssohn Club and

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem The Bach Choir of Bethlehem is the oldest Bach choir in the United States. Dating back to 1712, according to the choir's archives, it was formally founded in 1898 by Central Moravian Church organist John Frederick Wolle, and was established at r ...

Life and career

Born in

Millgrove, Ontario Millgrove is a small rural community in Ontario, Canada. History It is located within the former township of West Flamborough Flamborough, Ontario, of the Flamborough region and is a part of the amalgamated city of Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton. ...

(now

), Carey was from a prominent family of Canadian musicians. He began his musical education in his native country with J.E.P. Aldous (piano) and Elliott Haslam (voice). In 1900-1901 he studied at the

Guildhall School of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz along with dram ...

in London with

William Hayman Cummings William Hayman Cummings (22 August 1831 – 5 June 1915) was an English musician, tenor and organist at Waltham Abbey Church. Cummings was born in Sidbury (near Sidmouth) in Devon. He was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School, St Paul's Cathed ...

and Albert Visetti. Upon returning to Canada in 1901, Carey held the post of choirmaster at various churches in

through 1922. In 1905 he founded the Bach-Elgar Choir, serving as its first conductor until 1922. From 1926 to 1934 he was conductor of the Mendelssohn Club in Philadelphia, notably collaborating frequently for concerts with

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British-born American conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. H ...

and the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

. From 1933 to 1938 he was conductor of the renowned Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Carey was a faculty member and administrator at the Royal Hamilton College of Music from 1907 to 1917. He was one of the 4 original founders to bring Rotary to Hamilton with the official "Rotary Club of Hamilton" forming on 23 June 1913, at 1:10pm at 26 King William St. at Young's Cafe downtown Hamilton, On. He was supervisor of music for Hamilton's public school system from 1918 to 1922, during which time he also taught summer courses at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

. From 1922 to 1943 he served as the director of vocal music at the Girard College for Boys in Philadelphia. After his retirement in 1945, he made his home in Florida. He died in Hamilton, Ontario in 1960 while visiting family.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carey, Bruce 1876 births 1960 deaths Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Canadian male conductors (music) Canadian choral conductors Musicians from Hamilton, Ontario Academic staff of the Royal Hamilton College of Music Canadian music educators