As I sat next to a gravestone,
behind the Leith Church taking in
the music at the annual CEILIDH, I looked at the back of the simple red brick
church and wondered what made it the renowned music venue it has become
today. Of course the CEILIDH is outside of the fine acoustics of the little church,
but there is a full season of indoor concerts that showcase the venue. Through-
out the summer Leith Summer Festival hosts a variety of musical styles and in
the fall Sweet Water Music Festival is the home to works by Bach, Telemann
and other classic composers. It is no wonder when famed musicians like Scott
St. John of the St. Lawrence String Quartet declared the Leith Church pos-
sesses, “the best sound in Canada”.
I asked CamGraham and Pete Telford (two prominent members of Friends of
the Leith Church) for their take on the church’s fine acoustics. Cam explained
that back in 1865 when the Auld Kirk (Church of Scotland) was built, the
parishioners were not allowed to sing or play instruments. The area around
Leith was settled by strict Scottish Presbyterians and the austere Calvinist tra-
dition dictated that frivolities like music should not be part of Church life. It was
really designed to enhance the orator’s voice.
Leith businessman, Adam Anislie, donated the land for the church and ceme-
tery. The building was designed by an architect, James Gibson, who had re-
cently moved to the area from Toronto. Interestingly, Mr. Anislie also owned
a distillery, which was located on the creek behind the church. Apparently the
Calvinist doctrine around Leith took a left turn when it came to spirits. Cam
and Pete relayed tales of farm children sent to fetch a pail of whiskey for the
thrashing crew’s lunch, later finding the kids asleep on the side of the road
after sampling the pail’s contents.
The church had a high pulpit front and centre with a gated Precentor’s box
placed in front of the pulpit. The Precentor faced the congregation and led
them in the chanting of Psalms. He also kept an eye out for sleepers or other
disturbances. Those caught napping faced admonishment in future services.
In the spring of 1865, a man rushed in during a Sunday service, ran to the
Precentor’s box and whispered in his ear. The Precentor in turn, stood and
whispered in the preacher’s ear. The preacher, Rev. Mr. Hunter, stopped his
sermon and announced, “Fenians are coming up the Sound in ships!” This
was a time of great concern and fear in Canada, with the Fenian raids occur-
ring from across the U.S. boarder and from Irish radicals within the colony.
Many of the men in the congregation were members of the local militia, the
Leith Rifles, and rushed home to fetch rifles and uniforms. As they assembled
on shore everyone soon realized the incoming ships were actually a native
fishing party.
*
NEW
LIFE
BY TOM HAKALA
73
Fall 2012
Escarpment Magazine