Member of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2002-10-10
Invested on: 2003-05-09
He is a renowned choir director, composer and teacher. Numerous individuals and groups in the arts have commissioned his compositions. Recordings of his work have met with significant critical acclaim and live concerts and recitals have been presented throughout Canada. A professor of composition at the University of Toronto for nearly 30 years and now professor emeritus, he was regarded as a passionate and inspiring teacher who drew students from other musical disciplines and who taught several prominent Canadian composers. As a choirmaster, he was a mentor to countless young people in churches and in the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus.