Article

David Ouchterlony

Published Online July 5, 2007

Last Edited December 16, 2013

(Guy) David Ouchterlony. Organist, teacher, administrator, b Guelph, Ont, 2 Apr 1914, d Toronto 20 Jun 1987; honorary D LITT S (Victoria U, Toronto) 1964. A pupil of Willan, he also studied with Carl Weinrich in New York and with G.D. Cunningham in London.

Ouchterlony, David

(Guy) David Ouchterlony. Organist, teacher, administrator, b Guelph, Ont, 2 Apr 1914, d Toronto 20 Jun 1987; honorary D LITT S (Victoria U, Toronto) 1964. A pupil of Willan, he also studied with Carl Weinrich in New York and with G.D. Cunningham in London. In Guelph he was organist-choirmaster 1927-30 at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church and 1930-2 at St George's Anglican Church. He was music master at, in turn, Appleby College, Oakville, St Andrew's College, Aurora, and Upper Canada College, Toronto. In Toronto he was organist-choirmaster 1932-7 at Holy Trinity Church and 1937-46 at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, King St, before succeeding T.J. Crawford in 1946 at Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church. He established a choir school at Timothy Eaton, and continued as organist there until his death. His honorary doctorate was received for service to Canadian church music.

Ouchterlony began teaching at the TCM (RCMT) in 1940, and served as supervisor of branches 1947-68 and principal 1968-77. Active as an adjudicator throughout most of his teaching career, he was appointed executive director of the Kiwanis Music Festival Association in 1978. He was the inventor of the multiple student keyboard (MSK) which has been used widely in conservatory training (see Inventions and devices).

A highlight of Ouchterlony's performing career was a joint recital 28 Jan 1950 with soprano Jeanne Pengelly at Carnegie Hall, New York. In the 1950s he founded a male choir, the Songmen, which performed in the Toronto area for about 10 years. He was host 1963-4 for CBC radio's 'The Learning Stage,' 1974-85 once a week for CFRB's nightly 'Starlight Serenade,' and 1985-7 for the Cobourg, Ont classical music station CFMX.

Ouchterlony's compositions are mostly short vocal and instrumental pieces. Notable are the anthem 'Trust in the Lord and Do Good' (Thompson 1959), the organ piece Trumpet Tune (Gray 1957), and the collection Anthems, Introits and Descants for youth choirs (Harris 1974). A Carol Cantata (Harris 1975), in which the carols are conceived in the styles of eight nations, had its premiere 21 Dec 1975 at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church.