John Tuttle, Convocation Hall, and the Faculty of Music #tbt

Today is fall convocation day for Faculty of Music students. Congratulations new grads! Today, you will hear John Tuttle perform.

John Tuttle was named University Organist in 1979 (a role he still maintains) where he plays organ in Convocation Hall before and after all convocation ceremonies. That fall he also began teaching at the Faculty of Music.

Convocation Hall interior with organ

Convocation Hall interior with organ

In 1981 he founded the Exultate Chamber Singers, a twenty-voice ensemble that has gained a national reputation for superb choral singing. Dr. Tuttle retired from conducting the Exultate Chamber Singers in May 2011. From 1981 to 2006 he conducted the Hart House Chorus. From 1985 to 2000 he was Music Director of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, which commissioned numerous operas for children, and toured throughout Canada and the USA. He has been and continues to be integral to musical life on campus.

The Faculty of Music has additional connections to Con Hall: it was used as a performance space for large ensembles prior to the Edward Johnson Building and MacMillan Theatre being built.

Here are Faculty of Music students posing in Convocation Hall prior to a performance in 1959:

Music Students in Convocation Hall 1959

Music Students in Convocation Hall 1959