First CRC Barrie: Swell Gamba, bottom C:
'Conservatoire de Toronto
EC' (Elias Chicoyne)
from Wikipedia:
The Conservatory was founded in 1886 as The Toronto Conservatory of Music by a young organist Edward Fisher. It was the first institution of its kind in Canada: a school dedicated to the training of singers and musicians. The Conservatory grew at a rapid pace and in 1897 it purchased a new property at College Street and University Avenue to accommodate its expansion. As the Conservatory's reputation for its professional training, national examination system and faculty of distinguished musicians continued to grow, it became one of the dominant musical institutions in Canada. Some of Canada's most famous musicians studied at the Conservatory. Glenn Gould studied theory, organ and piano, graduating at age 12 in 1946 with an ARCT diploma, with highest honours. Teresa Stratas, Lois Marshall and Jon Vickers were also Conservatory students. In 1947, King George VI awarded the Conservatory its Royal Charter. The Toronto Conservatory of Music became The Royal Conservatory of Music.
In 1962, the University of Toronto sold the Conservatory's College Street property to Ontario Hydro. The Conservatory relocated to 273 Bloor Street West in Toronto, the original site of McMaster University. The concert and recital halls of the College Street site were only partially replaced in the move, while the library, residence and all three pipe organs were lost.
