Article

Harold Eustace Key

Published Online September 1, 2008

Last Edited December 16, 2013

Harold Eustace Key. Organist, choirmaster, conductor, arranger, composer, b London 1881, d 14 April 1947. After studies at the GSM he moved to Canada in 1904, occupying positions as organist-choirmaster in Dunnville, St Thomas, and Brockville, Ont, before settling in Montreal in 1914.

Key, Harold Eustace

Harold Eustace Key. Organist, choirmaster, conductor, arranger, composer, b London 1881, d 14 April 1947. After studies at the GSM he moved to Canada in 1904, occupying positions as organist-choirmaster in Dunnville, St Thomas, and Brockville, Ont, before settling in Montreal in 1914. There Harold Key served until 1916 at St James Church and after 1920 at Emmanuel Church, founded (in 1921) the Elgar Women's Choir, conducted (1921-4) the McGill University Glee Club, and led (mid-1920s) the Mendelssohn Choir. He was associated with the CPR's John Murray Gibbon in a number of ventures - eg, he was music director of CPR Festivals in Quebec, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Banff, conducted the premiere, in 1929 at the Banff Highland Gathering, of Willan's Prince Charlie and Flora, and arranged the music for the first volume of Gibbon's Northland Songs (Thompson 1936). Key also contributed choral settings and editorial advice to The McGill University Song Book (McGill Students' Council 1921) and composed orchestral suites, anthems, part-songs, and songs. Among the latter are Two Songs (with words by E.R. Sill and Thomas Moore respectively; Nordheimer 1907). Key's 'Hymn' for the McGill University centennial and his setting of 'In Flanders' Fields' appears in The McGill University Song Book.