August 12th, 2007 Organ Recital

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GEOFFREY THORNBURN BA, MA, ARCT

Born in Victoria BC, Geoffrey Thornburn has been the organist and choir director at various Anglican and United churches in Victoria and Ottawa since 1958. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in Economics in 1967 and in the same year became an associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto (ARCT) with Special Diploma for high performance in Organ. During the 1960's he was the assistant organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria and subsequently assisted at St. George's Cathedral, Kingston while earning an MA at Queens University. He has played many recitals in Victoria, Vancouver and Eastern Ontario and is a past president of the Victoria Chapter, Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Following 27 years in Ottawa and 14 years at St. Bartholomew's Church there, he returned to Victoria and was appointed Music Director at St. Matthias Anglican Church (which has a blended contemporary and traditional worship style) and conducted both a choir and an instrumental group. Contemporary church music for the Anglican liturgies has been his specialty for the past several years, including leadership of the contemporary worship portion of large diocesan events in Ottawa and membership in a group dedicated to contemporary music for about 12 years. He has also been active in the Cursillo movement in Ottawa and BC serving as a music leader and in other leadership roles.
Geoffrey is retired from the Government of Canada and has been an adjunct member of the faculty at the School of Public Administration and Centre for Public Sector Studies at the University of Victoria. He is married to Olivia and has two grown sons who live in the Vancouver area.

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