EDWARD JOHNSON AND MUSIC EDUCATION IN CANADA A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by JOHN PATRICK D'ALTON In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts December , 19 9 6 @ John Patrick DtAlton, 1996 National Library Bibliothèque nationale l*l of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 ûîtawaON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. EDWARD JOHNSON AND MUSIC EDUCATION IN CANADA John Patrick DtAlton Advisor : University of Guelph, 1996 Professor G.A. Stelter Edward Johnson (1878-1959), a Canadian-born operatic tenor, manager of the Metropolitan Opera Association in New York City, and chairman of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, is an integral part of Canada's cultural, educational, intellectual and national history. This study will argue that during the interwar and irnmediate post-Second World War years Johnson's efforts to create a cosmopolitan, national cultural identity through music education were radically new for the era. Johnson's views and actions ran counter to the prevalent trend of cultural preservation to foster a national identity. This study will examine Johnson's three main efforts in the Ontario cities of Guelph, London, and Toronto to prepare the groundwork for the creation of a distinct Canadian identity. Evidence contained in Johnson's private papers together with various university documents put this once-familiar Canadian into new perspective and context. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project could not have been completed without the generous help of many people. Two key people who made this study possible were Edward Johnson's grandchildren, Lady Alexandra Drew Scholey who lives in London, England, and Edward Drew. They graciously allowed me to examine the Edr~ard Johnson Papers which were originally housed in the National Archives of Canada, The prime mover behind this study was my advisor, Dr. Gilbert A. Stelter who once mentioned that nothing much had been written about Edward Johnson. Little did I know that his remark would launch me on a journey of discovery with al1 sorts of twists and turns. In addition to Dr. Stelter, 1 am grateful to my committee members Dr. Catharine A. Wilson and Dr. Terry A. Crowley for their constructive insights and their infinite patience. Others also gave unfailingly of their time and effort to help me along. Gloria Troyer, who catalogued Johnson's papers in the University of Guelph Archives, guided me through this massive collection and directed me to points of interest. The unfailing and pleasant assistance of al1 staff members made my work an enjoyable and mernorable experience. The assistance rendered by Ed Phelps, now retired from the J.J. Talman Regional Collection at the University of Western Ontario, was invaluable. He unearthed the pertinent files in the William Sherwood Fox Papers. Staff members were most considerate, helpful and pleasant. They made my brief association with Western rewarding. Staff at the University of Toronto Archives also were most helpful in my research endeavors. As well Wellington County Board of Education staff assisted me in f inding various files and records. Guelph Public Library staff were most helpful too. Local historian Gloria Dent graciously shared some related research with me. Last are the unsung heroes. None of this would have been possible without the support of my wife Lynn DtAltonwho aided me in countless ways. This study, in part, originated from a suggestion made by my mother, Helen J. D'Alton. As a young girl she briefly studied singing with Johnsonfs f riend, Hattie R. Kelly, organist at Knox Presbyterian Church in Guelph. My mother once suggested that 1 do some research into her former teacher. Kelly's name frequently appeared during my research into Johnson. A farnily member later told me that Kellyts papers were thrown out following her death in 1942. My mother also shared insights into the cultural life of an Ontario long past . My mother-in-law, Marie Moir of Kingston, shared her mernories about Guelph in the 1940s when she was a young member of the Presto Music Club. She also gave her impressions of Edward Johnson who occasionally spoke at club meetings. Table of Contents Preface Introduction: Johnson and Nationalism Intellectual Contexts "The Guelph Experimentu Johnson and Music Education At Western Epilogue Endnotes Bibliography Appendix Long before his unexpected death on April 20, 1959, in his native city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Edward Johnson had achieved the unusual status of being regarded as an international cultural icon in the world of grand opera as both a tenor and an impresario. The author of Johnson' s New York Times obituary had no hesitation in predicting his subjectrsposthumous greatness- "Mr. Johnson is assured of a place in musical history on both sides of the United States- Canadian border.1f The writer qualified this statement by adding: "And because he never relinquished his Canadian citizenship and turned to Canadian musical af f airs with renewed interest after his retirement from the Metropolitan, he will long be remembered as one of Canada' s most famous sons . For reasons of space restrictions it is impossible to flesh out Johnson's life and career. The chronological framework of his career has been recounted many times in various encyclopedia's and dictionaries specializing in musical history. For the record, Johnson was born August 22, 1878. He was the eldest son of James Johnson, a cabinetmaker, who was a musician in his own right and later enjoyed life as an entrepreneur and sportsman . Edward' s mother was Margaret (née Brown) who married James on Nov. 12, 1877. On the eve of his retirement from the Metropolitan, Johnson reflected on his background. His father and mother were "Welsh and Irish 2 respe~tively~~and encouraged hirn as a singer and musician. He studied the piano and flute at his fatherrs in~istence.~ In the 1890s the youthful Edward Johnson was part of Guelph's cultural and social life embodied in various fraternal and social organizations. Usually these groups had various religious and ethnic affiliations. The largest religious denomination in this era was Methodist Church following the 1884 union. The Methodists also had a strong musical tradition? Contemporary newspaper reports show that Johnson was a gifted oratorio and popular singer who enjoyed some measure of celebrity status. During the 1897 Guelph Collegiate Institute commencement, for example, peers and staff honored Johnson for his work as the school ' s choir director. By chance, he shared a billing with Canadian-born singer, Edith Miller, during a Stratford Ontario Concert in 1899. She was a contralto employed as a soloist at St. Bartholomew's in New York City. After talking with Johnson, she advised him to study singing in New York if he was serious about pursuing a career. He followed her advice. Before he left, his friends and colleagues gave him a community send-off in the fom of a concert in his honor to recognize his contributions to Guelph' s enrichment. His early career as an oratorio singer from 1899 until he lef t for Italy in 1909 was a self-directed apprenticeship both in churches and in area concerts. His reviews show that he 3 studied under several singing instructors and worked as a paid church soloist moving from church to church as opportunities presented themselves . Eventually he sang at the prestigious Brick Presbyterian Church in 1905.~ At the same time his concert work attracted the attention of Henry Wolfsohn, owner of the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau in 1903. As his agent, Wolfsohn put Johnson on the regular concert circuit which involved performing in cities along the U.S. eastern seaboard and in the midwest. In late 1907 he introduced Johnson to Broadway where he won overnight success in early 1908 as Lieut. Nikki in Oscar Straus' light opera, A Wal tz Dream. Influenced by his Portuguese-born fiancée, Beatriz (Beatrice) da Veiga, Viscountess dtArneiro, an accomplished linguist and musician, Johnson never lost sight of his goal to study in preparation for a career in grand opera. They had met in Paris, France, in 1905, and became engaged almost immediately. She was a few years older than he was and experienced in dealing with various perf orming artists . Beatrice educated him about the politics of culture in the fom of artistic rivalries and jealousies and advised him how to avoid situations that could jeopardize his career.' His dependency on her is evident in their exchange of letters between 1906-1909. Johnson's candidly wrote about concert and Broadway experiences which were extrernely difficult and draining . 4 He sailed for Europe in 1909 and married Beatrice that August in London, England. They moved to Florence, Italy, where their daughter, Fiorenza, was born in 1910. There he studied under Vincenzo Lombardi, Enrico Caruso's voice instructor.