Cathedral Music Endowment Fund Matching Campaign Launched

The Christ Church Cathedral Music Endowment Fund has been moved to the Victoria Foundation.  As a formally endowed fund, the principal is protected in perpetuity, while the income will help secure the long-term sustainability and vitality of our active, multi-faceted music ministry.  Our initial goal is to endow up to a quarter of a million dollars for this work.  To get the ball rolling, $10,000 has been transferred from the existing Cathedral Music Fund (formerly known as the MEF). 

AN INVITATION FOR YOU TO JOIN US

We’re excited to announce that already, several people have come forward, issuing a kind of challenge to the rest of us. These generous folk are offering a total of $40,000 in matching funds. They’re inviting others – both within the cathedral family and beyond – to join them.  They will match gifts, dollar for dollar, up to that level. All contributions of $25 or more received by December 31 will effectively have their value doubled.  As always, all donations are fully eligible for charitable tax receipts.

MUSICAL EXCELLENCE IN A SACRED SPACE

Music is universally valued as a path to closer contact with the divine spirit.  And so it is in this Cathedral, where many people say they were first attracted by the quality, quantity and range of our musical offerings, in both liturgical and concert settings. The Cathedral’s music program is dedicated to facilitating inspirational and transformative experiences through music: both liturgical music connected to the seasons of the church year, and concert performances by local and visiting artists. Our mandate is to maintain and extend the Anglican Cathedral music tradition in this time and place. There is a special commitment to nurture and support young musical talent.

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS

Our recently created young choristers program, in conjunction with the Cathedral School, is the only one of its kind in Canada, and one of only a handful in North America. Currently, fourteen students in grades 4 through 8 receive $1,000 young chorister scholarships towards their school fees. They attend an hour of intensive choral training four mornings a week, sing Evensong twice a month during the school term, and have toured in the Pacific Northwest.

There are three adult choirs at the Cathedral, who sing at 9:15, 11:00 and 4:30 each Sunday, and for many special services throughout the year. In addition to many volunteer choir members, there are approximately twenty choral scholars from the university and conservatory, who “swell the ranks,” add to the quality of our music-making, and receive valuable training and experience. They also benefit from a total of about $30,000 in senior choral scholarships each year.

WHY SHOULD I HELP?

All of this activity (and much more) costs a significant amount of money. In addition to scholarships for young choristers and gifted senior students, there are payments to: engage regular and occasional musicians, commission new works, purchase musical scores, maintain organs and other musical instruments and equipment, and present regular concert series and special events, including an annual organ series and a summer recital series, among many other activities.

Last year, the Cathedral Music Fund spent close to $90,000 to defray all the costs of the Cathedral’s music program, except the salary of the Director of Music. This represents a significant “cost avoidance” benefit for the Cathedral’s general operating budget, and makes possible a level of musical activity that would otherwise simply not be possible.

The existing Cathedral Music Fund grew out of a groundswell of support more than a decade ago. The fund has several sources of revenue, including investment income, donations, and net earnings from concert presentations (via ticket sales and donations at the door). Nevertheless, the amount of money available in the current non-endowed fund is slowly but steadily declining, year over year. That is why we have created the new permanently endowed fund, which will, in time, be self-sustaining.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Make a donation to the Christ Church Cathedral Music Endowment Fund before December 31st.  Your contribution of $25 or more will be matched dollar for dollar by our generous “matching challenge” benefactors, up to a total of $40,000.  All donations are tax-deductible.  Receipts are issued once a year.

More information HERE