Flag of the day, Joseph Howe looks over the Bank Of Nova Scotia.
St. Paul’s Church is an evangelical Anglican church in downtown Halifax Nova Scotia within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is located at the south end of the Grand Parade, an open square in downtown Halifax with Halifax City Hall at the northern end. Founded in 1749 (the same year as the Halifax colony), it is the oldest Anglican church in Canada. The building was begun in 1750 (making it the oldest surviving structure in the city of Halifax) and is based on the ground plan of the Gibbs church of St. Peter’s, Vere Street in London, with later additions such as a larger tower.
The Halifax Explosion and
St Paul’s
The terrible explosion of December 6, 1917, is memorialized in the “explosion window” (upper level, third from the back of the church) and the wooden sill embedded in the wall over the memorial doors in the entryway. The apparent profile in the broken glass of the window is said to resemble that of the Rev. Jean-Baptiste Moreau, an assistant at St. Paul’s from 1750 to 1753. Following the explosion, the vestry was used as an emergency hospital and the bodies of hundreds of victims were laid in tiers around the walls.
The Narthex
The Narthex is outside the original north wall of the building. It contains a display case with the retired colours of the Princess Louise Fusiliers, a Halifax militia regiment with a history dating into the early 19th century. It also contains a memorial to a crewman killed in the capture of the Chesapeake by the HMS Shannon in the War of 1812. The Shannon sailed into Halifax harbour with the Chesapeake on a Sunday morning. When word reached the church, the service was concluded and the church emptied in record time!
Memorial Tablets
St. Paul’s is said to have more memorial tablets on its walls than any other church building in North America. They form a fascinating record of the men and women who have occupied its pews over the centuries, many of whom also occupy significant places in the history of Halifax and Nova Scotia. The earliest of them are to be found on the side wall of the chapel.
Jill Alexander’s great grandfather name appears first on the list of names on the arched doorway, William James Armitage was the first Rector ant Archeacon of Halifax.
Historic St. Paul’s Church on the Grand Parade presents “Voices of Spring” featuring the Chester Brass Band together with St. Paul’s Choir and organist Andrew Killaweek. The Chester Brass Band was founded in 1873, and incorporated in 1906, the Chester Brass Band is an internationally renowned brass ensemble, based in Chester, Nova Scotia. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization funded wholly by its membership, concert series, and local patrons.
Its repertoire includes classical works, marches, hymns, popular melodies, and original works written or arranged specifically for brass bands. The band has fronted its own Dixieland band, stage band and small brass ensembles. They have performed with many guest choirs, vocalists and instrumental soloists of distinction.
The band has performed in concert halls, theatres, schools, churches, parks, restaurants, and even in people’s back yards. It has played concerts, for parties, weddings, convocations, or just for listening pleasure. The band has competed in festivals and competitions. On five occasions, it traveled to the International Brass Band Championships where it placed as one of the top three bands, every time.
The Chester Brass Band has been a part of the Chester Community since the turn of the last century, and is proud of the level of musical achievement that it has attained. It draws great strength from British Brass Band tradition and its own unique Nova Scotia heritage.
A small crowd of 70 people filled St. Paul’s to listen to afternoon classical music. The high ceilings made for great acoustics and any seat was a good seat.
Old friends chat and catch up on what’s been going on since they last saw one another.
Conductor
Guest Conductor
Folks I Met On The Streets Of Halifax.
Look at the different 24 hours makes on a walls where graffiti is painted. The Wall on the right is getting painted over at 3pm on a Saturday, that same wall was being repainted by a different artists just 23 hours later.
Canadian Mosaic 