Filmer Edwin Hubble (12 January 1904 – 25 November 1969) was a Canadian
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...
,
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
,
adjudicator
An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges, and arbitrates during a formal dispute or competition. They have numerous purposes, including preliminary legal judgments, to determine applicant eligibility, or to assess contenders' performance ...
, 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 original ...
of English birth.
Life and career
Born in
Dulwich
Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half ...
, he immigrated to Canada in 1921 at the age of 17. He settled in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
where he studied music with
Hugh Ross and served as assistant organist at Holy Trinity Anglican Church during the 1920s. He served as organist/choirmaster as many Winnipeg churches during the rest of his life, including St Stephen's Broadway United where he worked from 1943 until his death 26 years later. Under his leadership the St Stephen's choir was twice awarded the prestigious
City of Lincoln Trophy.
Outside of his church work, Hubble conducted the
Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. He also conducted the Manitoba Schools' Orchestra (1941–1953), the Kelvin Grads Choir, the United College Chapel Choir, the University Glee Club, and the Winnipeg Ladies' Choir during his career. He also served as music director for numerous productions at
Rainbow Stage and was organist for ''Sunday Chorale'', a popular
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
program featuring
The Choristers
The Choristers was a Canadian chamber choir based in Winnipeg that gave weekly nationally broadcast programs on CBC Radio from 1942 through 1969. According to '' The Canadian Encyclopedia'', the choir achieved "a national reputation for their fin ...
. In 1955 he succeeded
W. H. Anderson
William Henry Anderson (21 April 1882 – 12 April 1955) was a composer, choir director, tenor, and voice teacher of English birth. He produced a large amount of vocal music, including more than 150 songs and 40 anthems as well as a significant ...
as The Choristers conductor, a position he held until his death.
As a teacher, Hubble taught on the faculty of the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.[Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the ear ...](_blank)
in 1967. From 1958-1964 he taught at the
Banff School of Fine Arts
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
. He also taught privately and was a highly active adjudicator throughout western provinces of Canada. A kindly and giving teacher, he often waved lesson fees for needy students and was viewed by many of his students as a father-figure. One of his notable students was
Lorne Betts Lorne Matheson Betts (August 2, 1918 – August 5, 1985) was a Canadian composer, conductor, organist, and music critic. A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, many of his original scores and wri ...
. He died in Winnipeg in 1969 at the age of 65.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubble, Filmer
1904 births
1969 deaths
Male conductors (music)
Canadian choral conductors
Academic staff of the University of Manitoba
Canadian music educators
Musicians from Winnipeg
People from Dulwich
British emigrants to Canada
20th-century conductors (music)
20th-century Canadian male musicians