FACES OF FAITH
Community Profiles at St. Andrew's Church
Elizabeth Forster
1) What is your favourite hymn?
One of the benefits of having been a choral singer since my early teens is that I know dozens of hymns by heart. One of the drawbacks is that I find it virtually impossible to pick just one as my favourite. But a short list of hymns that never fail to lift my heart and inspire me would certainly include "Be thou my vision", set to the melody Slane. The text dates from the early (8th century) Irish monastic tradition. The words were translated from the original Old Irish in 1905 by Mary E. Byrne, and set to verse by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912. The Irish folk song, Slane, is named for a village in County Meath. On the Hill of Slane, which overlooks the village, there are pagan, Celtic and Christian sites that span nearly 5,000 years of history. St. Patrick is said to have defied the pagan High King Lóe-gaire of Ta-ra by lighting candles on the Hill of Slane on Easter Eve in 433 A.D. For me, this hymn captures perfectly the vision of a deeply personal, all-encompassing connection with God.
2) Do you have a favourite passage from the Bible?
I have many, almost all of which are indelibly associated with choral music. One that speaks powerfully to me without accompaniment is 1 Corinthians 13:12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
3) What is the best book (biblical or non-biblical) that you have read in the last six months?
I've been fascinated by the Middle Ages since I was a child, and studied medieval history and languages at university before I studied music. I've been thoroughly enjoying Mysteries of the Middle Ages And the Beginning of the Modern World, by Thomas Cahill. The book explores the Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman cultures, and looks at how they came together to create Western society. It ranges over a thousand years of history, a host of fascinating characters such as Hildegard of Bingen and Dante Alighieri, and topics that include the iconography of medieval art, the Cult of the Virgin, the birth of the university in Paris, Oxford and Padua, and early feminism.
4) What is your favourite style of music, and what is likely on your stereo / ipod / car radio right now?
My musical tastes are fairly eclectic. I was raised on Broadway shows, pop music and jazz standards, and was introduced to classical music and opera in my teens. I have a particular love for English lyric songs and poetry of the late 19th and early 20th century, and composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and John Ireland. I'm as likely to play CBC Radio as anything else in the car when driving around town. For long trips, we lay in a supply of everything from disco classics to Fats Waller.
5) What is your earliest memory of church?
I was the fourth of five children, and my mother was very canny at crowd control. I remember that we always sat upstairs in the gallery at our United Church, and she had peppermint Life Savers on hand in case anyone became restless. I started singing in the children's choir when I was about seven, and enjoyed it so much that I've never really stopped. For me, music adds immeasurably to the liturgy in the service of worship.
6) What attracted you to become a part of the St. Andrew's community, and what keeps you here?
One of my professors at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music was Douglas Bodle, who taught a wonderful course on the Oratorio repertoire. I was tremendously impressed by the depth of his musicianship and the quality of his teaching. I was delighted when Douglas approached me to sing in the alto section at St. Andrew's, and have been happy to be part of an exceptional choir, and the exceptional community that so strongly supports it, ever since. I'm also delighted that my husband, Jordan, who is Jewish, and our children, Sarah (12) and Daniel (9), have found such a warm welcome at St. Andrew's.
7) What is your greatest hope for St. Andrew's?
My hope is that St. Andrew's can continue to serve as a beacon of faith, fellowship and community outreach in downtown Toronto for many years to come.