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Our Past
The St. James Town Children’s Choir was established in 2007, thanks to the effort and generosity of John Loosemore and other committed Torontonians, who understood the joy and social cohesion afforded by choral singing. Reaching Out Through Music was launched the next year, with the goal of providing free, high-quality music education for the children and youth of St. James Town. In the intervening years, hundreds of students from 5 to 17 years of age have reaped the benefits of free music programs including choir, piano, violin, guitar, ukulele and voice. They have had many opportunities to showcase their talents at community festivals and other Toronto venues, at times alongside professional performers. Among the most memorable experiences for the St. James Town Children’s Choir was their role in the COC’s Opera For Young Audiences, Hansel and Gretel production held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (February 2020).
Our Future
Reaching Out Through Music has become St. James Town Community Arts (SJTCA) in
celebration of this vibrant community. The St. James Town Children’s Choir remains at
the heart of our musical endeavours. In 2020 the choir began a productive partnership
with ArtCity St. James Town, which led to performances that featured melodious
singing along with creative visual depictions of the music. As before, SJTCA continues
to offer high-quality instruction in piano, violin, guitar, ukulele and voice. We initiated
drama classes in 2020, which attracted many enthusiastic participants. In August 2021
we will introduce our first Summer Arts Camp for children and youth, an immersive two-
week arts experience featuring music, drama, dance and art that will culminate in an
original public performance. We will continue to expand the range of program offerings
in music, drama, visual art and dance. All of our programs are taught by talented and
caring professionals who balance best practices in arts instruction with the promotion of
children’s confidence and overall well-being.