Organist and Choirmaster

Michael Capon Organist and Choirmaster  E-Mail  Personal Website (compositions)

Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, since 1997, Michael Capon lives with his wife, Ellen, and stepson, Angus, and is actively involved in the musical life of New Brunswick's capital city as a performer, conductor, composer, and teacher. Michael directs the Fredericton Choral Society (frequently collaborating with the Fredericton Chamber Players), directs music for theatrical productions by the Fredericton Musical Theatre Company and Theatre New Brunswick's Musical Theatre School, teaches music theory and organ students, and has guest-conducted for the Bel Canto chamber choir and adjudicated for the Fredericton Music Festival. He has also served as President of the Fredericton Chapter of the Royal Canadian College of Organists and the Fredericton Organists' Association.

Michael has composed choral anthems, liturgical music, organ music, and other instrumental music. Recent compositions include "Linger" and "Two-Step" for piano trio, commissioned by the Andiamo Trio, "Before the earth had yet begun", an anthem based on a text by Herbert O'Driscoll for choir and organ commissioned by Christ Church Cathedral as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, and a set of preces and responses for ATB choir, commissioned by the Winnipeg-based choir All the King's Men for their summer 2004 tour of British Cathedrals. Michael himself premiered his "Fredericton Suite" for organ in the summer of 2002. His setting of "In Flanders Fields" for choir and organ was performed by the Canadian Chamber Choir under the direction of Iwan Edwards during their tour of Eastern Canada in 2003. "Promenade: Homage to Gerald Bales" for organ will be published by the Royal Canadian College of Organists in a collection in memory of Canadian composer Gerald Bales. Michael also has a hymn and a descant published in "Common Praise", the hymnbook of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Michael won first prize in the Quebec-wide John Robb Organ Competition and Second Prize in the Royal Canadian College of Organists' National Organ Playing Competition, and has recorded for CBC Radio and Vision TV. In the summer of 1999, he represented New Brunswick in a Cross Canada Organ Recital at the national convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in Hamilton, Ontario. He has also earned his Master of Music degree from McGill University in Organ Performance (including studies in composition), and his A.R.C.T. (Royal Conservatory of Toronto) in Piano Performance.

Previous church positions include Assistant Organist at St. George's Anglican Cathedral in Perth, Australia; Director of Music at St. Matthias' Anglican Church in Westmount, Quebec; and Director of Music at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Brockville, Ontario.