Charles Findlater

Findlater, Charles

Charles (Edward) Findlater. Choir director, teacher, adjudicator, b London 2 Jul 1893, d Vancouver 7 Aug 1975; ATCM 1930, LTCL 1933, Associate (Tonic Sol-Fa College, London) 1933. He arrived in Canada in 1914 and settled in Vancouver in 1918. He founded the Elgar Choir of British Columbia in 1924 and was music supervisor for Vancouver schools ca 1928-31. His Elgar School of Music (ca 1935-ca 1972) offered instruction in singing, piano, and theory (mostly taught by Findlater, who was head of the school until it closed). He taught piano and theory ca 1940-65 at Crofton House School (where he also directed the choirs) and was choirmaster ca 1937-44 at Knox United Church in Vancouver and ca 1944-9 at St Mary's (Kerrisdale). Findlater's choirs were heard from the 1940s to the 1960s over CBC radio. He adjudicated many times at the Coquitlam and Williams Lake festivals and was on the Vancouver auditioning board of the CBC in the 1950s. Findlater was president 1946-55 of the BCRMTA. His pupils included Betty-Ann Busch, Len Chapple, Gordon Gibson, and Gordon Hunt.