Lynnwood Farnam Society Homepage
Announcements about Society activities
Recent updates to the web page
Lynnwood Farnam Biography and Bibliography
History of the Lynnwood Farnam Society
Information about the bronze bust of Lynnwood Farnam
Membership List
Pictures and Video
The Filibuster
Online Store
Links to other interesting sites

Bronze Bust of Lynnwood Farnam

A large bronze bust of Lynnwood Farnam was done by well-known Canadian sculptor Alfred Laliberté for Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, where he was Director of Music between 1908 and 1913. The bust was dedicated at a memorial service at the Cathedral at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 1931, the first anniversary of Farnam's death. At this service the Ministers, organists and choirs of the three Montreal Churches Farnam worked at were present. Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster Alfred Whitehead and Healy Willan, Organist of St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto, both dedicated motets to Farnam which were performed, and Willan gave the oration. George Brewer, Arthur Egerton, Carl Weinrich and J.E.F. Martin played various organ works. Mr. George Cornish, of Montreal, one of Farnam's earliest teachers, was also on hand. The complete service (taken from the service bulletin) was as follows:

  • Organ: Prelude and Fugue in E flat, J. S. Bach (played by George Brewer, Church of the Messiah, Montreal)
  • Procession of Clergy and Choirs
  • Hymn: O God our help in ages past
  • Lesson
  • Prayers
  • Motet: Jesu, the very thought of Thee, Whitehead (dedicated to Lynnwood Farnam, conducted by Alfred Whitehead)

  • Organ: Symphony No. 6, Adagio, Widor
  • Organ: "O, how blessed, faithful spirits, are ye!" Brahms
  • Organ: "Praise the Lord, O my soul!" Karg-Elert
    (These three pieces played by Arthur Egerton, Wells College, Aurora, N.Y. - successor to Lynnwood Farnam, Christ Church Cathedral, 1913)

  • Dedication of the Memorial (The Lord Bishop of Montreal The Right Rev. John Farthing, D.D., D.C.L.)
  • Oration (Healy Willan)
  • Motet: "O King, to Whom all things do live," Willan (specially written for this Service, conducted by Stanley Oliver, St. James' United Church, Montreal)

  • Organ: Chorale Preludes from "The Little Organ Book", Bach:
    1. "In Thee is Joy"
    2. "Lord God, now open wide Thy Heaven"
  • Organ: Allegro from the Fifth Sonata, Bach
  • Organ: Choral Prelude: "Christians, rejoice," Bach
    (These four pieces played by Carl Weinrich, Church of the Holy Communion, New York, successor to Lynnwood Farnam as organist and choirmaster there, 1930)

  • Offertory in aid of the expenses connected with the Memorial Service
  • Prayers
  • Hymn: Now thank we all our God
  • Benediction

  • Organ: Elegy, Bairstow
  • Organ: Chorale Prelude on "Valet will ich Dir geben," Bach
    (These two pieces played by J. E. F. Martin, Church of St. James the Apostle, Montreal)
According to The American Organist 15, no. 1 (Jan. 1932): 49, there was also "a movement of one of the latest works of Vierne, dedicated to Mr. Farnam" played at the service although it was not on the service bulletin. This was probably a movement from his 6ème Symphonie. On the back of the bulletin was printed "Subscriptions to the Farnam Memorial will be welcomed and should be sent to F. A. Bengough Esq., Hon. Treasurer, Farnam Memorial Fund, Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal."

Decades later, at a service at Christ Church Cathedral, held in conjunction with the McGill Summer Organ Academy, on August 1, 1999, the bust was given on permanent loan to the Faculty of Music of McGill University (Farnam taught at the McGill Conservatorium in 1912 and 1913). It returned to Christ Church Cathedral temporarily in January 2001 for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Cathedral organ. It is currently at McGill in the lounge of Pollack Concert Hall, and its new plynth, constructed specifically for it by LFS member Dean Jobin-Bevans, was unveiled at the opening reception of the McGill Summer Organ Academy on July 16, 2001.

The bust, executed in bronze by Alfred Laliberté, consists of a head, moulded after Farnam's appearance in his later life, resting on a large rectangular base. These in turn are resting on a bronze shelf specially designed by Henry Birks and Sons, Ltd. of Montreal. These three parts total 28 1/2" in height. The head is 10" high (with another 3" for the neck), 7 1/2" wide ear to ear, 8 1/2" deep at the deepest part of the skull and 8" deep from the tip of the nose back to the nape of the neck. The base is 11 1/4" high, 13 1/4" wide, 6" deep at its top and 9 1/2" deep at its bottom. The front side of the top part consists of the first theme of Johann Sebastian Bach's Fugue in E-flat major BWV 552.ii, above a floral decoration (including a maple leaf) in relief. The front side of the bottom part includes the name "LYNNWOOD FARNAM". The side of the bottom part to Farnam's head's right includes the scripted name "alaliberté" (sculptor Alfred Laliberté). The back of the bottom part includes the words "CFA PARIS". The top part of the shelf is 1 1/2" high, 15 1/2" wide and 10 3/4" deep. The bottom part of the shelf is 2 3/4" high, 15" wide and 10 1/2" deep. The following words appear on its front:

This bust is dedicated to the memory of
LYNNWOOD FARNAM
1885-1930
Renowned Canadian Organist
Organist of this Cathedral, 1908-1913

More pictures of the bust, in various locations, are available in the Pictures and Video section of this web site.

The Lynnwood Farnam Society is currently raising funds to install a "LynnwoodCam," a live web camera providing constantly-updated images of the bust of Lynnwood Farnam which will be available on the world-wide web. To donate to this project please send a cheque payable to "John Grew" to:

The Lynnwood Farnam Society
c/o Dr. John Grew
McGill University Faculty of Music
555 Sherbrooke St. W.
Montreal, QC, CANADA
H3A 1E3