in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
August 07, 2025
BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — Over the years, Casavant Frères — a world-renowned organ builder with a long history, based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec — has acquired unique expertise in the field of church organs. Although not solely restricted to such sacrosanct venues, the construction of church organs constitutes a major part of their activity in North America.
The company was founded in 1879 by Claver and Samuel, the sons of Joseph Casavant, a blacksmith who built his first organ in 1840. Since then, Casavant Frères has built organs for many significant institutions, including the Metropolitan United Church in Toronto, which houses Canada's largest pipe organ (built in 1933), as well as the massive Opus 120 pipe organ in the Lausanne Cathedral which boasts 7,313 pipes, five keyboards, and two consoles.
Casavant Frères Ltée Opus 1021-B organ in Annesley United Church, Markdale.
While the sound and style of Casavant organs has varied throughout the company's history, the Casavant brothers themselves, reflected mostly influences from contemporary France. For the last 146 years, the company has continued to add many technical innovations to their product, including a particularly reliable key contact and tracker touch mechanism, which is a feature of the Casavant playing action.
It is no doubt, that Casavant Frères organs have exalted sacred music with their powerful and complex sounds, transcending places of worship through their rich harmony at every installation. Visually integrated into the architecture of old buildings, these instruments are more than a means of musical expression, they are the very soul of a church — its place and its congregation.
This is also said to be true of the very impressive 1,559 pipe, Casavant Frères Ltée Opus 1021-B that graces the sanctuary of Annesley United Church in Markdale. Originally installed in 1924 in Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church in River Rouge, Michigan, as 2/25 Casavant Op. 1021, it was relocated to Markdale in 1990 by Ross Dodington
Casavant Frères Ltée Opus 1021-B keyboard.
To celebrate A Century of Casavant, the Middle Grey Arts & Heritage Group are organizing a series of concerts to show off this magnificent community asset. Melodies for a Summer Evening will be the first of these performances featuring two dynamic and exciting talents, Dr. Gregg Redner and Mr. Aaron Dimoff, to make it roar!
Dr. Gregg Redner
Gregg and Aaron will join together in performing melodies and transcriptions from the world of classical, folk, and sacred music for organ and voice from Percy Whitlock, Gerald Finzi, Leo Sowerby, J.S.Bach, Heinrich Schutz, and Felix Mendelssohn. The event begins at 7 pm on Friday, August 15 in the brilliant acoustical space that is Annesley United Church.
Aaron Dimoff
Dr. Gregg Redner is a Juilliard-trained, world renowned organist, pianist, and Director of Music at Metropolitan United Church in London. Aaron Dimoff has an impressive vocal history of performances in prominent opera roles, La Traviata and Rigoletto with the Edmonton Opera, Tosca with the Calgary Opera — where he was Artist in Residence for two years — as well as Le Nozze di Figaro, and Le Portrait de Manon.
Tickets for Melodies for a Summer Evening are $35 per person and are available online.
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