Swan song at St. Mark’s
When Michael Tansley came to Niagara, he meant it to be a time of easing into retirement.
He had found a beautiful house he loved in St. Davids, and was planning where to put the furniture, but he needed a job. He heard about an opening for organist and music director at St. Mark’s Anglican Church.
After nine years of what turned out to be a highlight of a long and varied musical career, working with Rev. Bob Wright who was dedicated to bringing arts, especially music, to the historic church, Tansley is ready for the next stage.
He’s calling it retirement, knowing it will still mean keeping busy and, of course, playing music for others.
He gave the church lots of notice to find a successor, so he would feel comfortable knowing the church music would be in good hands.
Although he has no definite plans for retirement, he knows he won’t be idle.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these years. I couldn’t have been happier. Will I miss it? Of course I will, but I’m not leaving the area and the friends I’ve made. That’s a bonus.”
Unlike many retirees, travel isn’t at the top of his list — he has lived in many places and travelled with choirs, and doesn’t feel the pull of seeing new places.
“I will keep my hand in music somehow, and I hope to do a bit of composing, maybe take a course at Brock and do some volunteering. I’ll also be available to fill in when an organist is needed. And I’ll have the freedom to do some other things that I haven’t had time to do.”
He plans to take a break of a few months from St. Mark’s to give his replacement time to get comfortable “without me breathing down their neck.”
Tansley will present his final concert at St. Mark’s Church Friday with favourite musical selections he’s chosen.
“I’m being very selfish with this Christmas concert,” he says. “It’s all music I’d like to do, and I’ll have people around me who have been part of the musical programs of St. Marks.”
He has invited as a special guest opera singer David Pike, who was a student of Tansley when he taught at Albert College in Belleville.
“I started him off with his first singing lesson, and he’s done very well. He has a great career going. I’ll be happy to have him at St. Mark’s.”
The baritone sang at the church in June, said Tansley, “and it was a great success.”
“People loved having him here.” With a busy schedule of European performances, Pike is in Canada this month, and he agreed to come and sing for the church.
“The program features him and is built around the fact that he’s here.”
It also features Michael Abbott on trumpet, Debbie Braun on harp, Lynne Honsberger on organ and cellist Helen Kopec, with music by Britten, Vaughan Williams, Rutter, two excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, Lauridsen and Sirett.
There will be some non-secular Christmas carols in new arrangements, said Tansley.
The 45-member St. Mark’s choir will be joined by friends of Tansley who have sung with him over the years, he said.
Tickets are $20, and are available through the parish office at 905-4683123. The concert starts at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow.