Massey Hall is located at 178 Victoria St (at Shuter St on the southwest corner) in the Downtown Yonge neighbourhood of Toronto.
Hart Massey’s Gift to Toronto
Built in 1894 by Hart Massey, industrialist and operator of a large farm equipment manufacturing company, the concert hall was designed by architect Sidney Badgley. Once called the Massey Music Hall, the historic gem was built to honour Massey’s late son, Charles Albert. The now National Historic Site of Canada was a gift to the people of Toronto to develop the arts. Did you know that the Massey family lived in a stately home at 515 Jarvis St? Today, it’s the Keg Mansion restaurant.
The landmark music auditorium, with its Moorish Revival interior, originally had 3,500 seats consisting of orchestra seating, two balconies, stage and private boxes, and tiered onstage seating. The exterior was considered austere with its brick and stone façade.
On June 14, 1894, the opening night was a performance of Handel’s Messiah with a 500-member chorus and a 70-member orchestra.
Massey Hall’s Renovations & Heritage Status
Until the 1920s, it was the only hall in Canada specifically designed for music. In 1933 and after a significant renovation, the seating was reduced to 2,675, a lounge was added, wooden stairs were replaced with steel and stone steps, Art Deco elements were added, and the ground floor entrance was enlarged. Also, the name was changed to Massey Hall.
In 1943, a flood destroyed photos, records, documents and playbills. In 1948 and due to fire concerns, the original wood seating and the oak floor were replaced. In the 1950s, plaster began falling off the ceiling, so thick wire had to be added to protect the patrons.
In 1973, the hall, known for its warm, outstanding acoustics, was on the City’s inaugural list of heritage sites.
Legendary Entertainers at Canada’s Carnegie Hall
Some notable speakers and performers who have appeared at Massey Hall include Gordon Lightfoot, Oscar Peterson, Nellie McClung, Winston Churchill, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Dylan and his band (later known as The Band), Jack Dempsey (boxing match), Buffy Saint-Marie and Russell Peters.
Rush, Neil Young and Burton Cummings are just a few artists who have recorded albums at the hall. There has also been a 7-month run of Cats, as well as ballet, opera and theatre performances. “Canada’s Carnegie Hall” was once home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Haunted Tales
There have been reports of a male spirit wearing old-fashioned clothing haunting the backstage area of this historic hall. It’s thought to be that of the venue’s former custodian, who once lived in an apartment behind the stage.
There are also rumours of a female opera singer making her presence known from a seat in the audience. Named “The Diva,” she makes loud noises when a soprano takes the stage. Click for more haunted tales.
The Grand Old Lady of Shuter Street Today
Through the years, the “Grand Old Lady of Shuter Street,” named in 1953 by Vincent Massey (the grandson of Hart Massey), has undergone several updates. The $184+ million revitalizations began in 2013, and in mid-2018, the hall closed for extensive restoration. The building’s heritage will be protected while bringing it into the 21st century.
Updates include opening the stained-glass windows, restoration of the plaster ceiling including repairs to the ornamental spike shapes along the ceiling arches, repairing/reinstating lighting, constructing a 7-storey addition, updating the entrance, a more accessible box office, restoration of the original signage and adding elevators along with additional bars and bathrooms on each floor.
The 2,550-seat venue will also have brand new red seating that is more comfortable (the seating on the second and third-floor balconies will remain the same).
The House of Gord
Gordon Lightfoot has performed the most solo performances at Massey Hall, over 170, with his first in March 1967. Just before the hall closed for renovations in July 2018, Mr Lightfoot played three sold-out shows, and when Toronto’s beloved music hall reopened on November 25, 2021, he took the stage for three more. On May 1, 2023, Canada’s legendary singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot passed away at the age of 84.
Massey Hall Photos
“The success of Toronto’s first music festival in 1886 inspired philanthropist Hart Almerrin Massey to build a “Commodious” auditorium. He hoped it would “cultivate and promote an interest in music, education, temperance, industry, good citizenship, patriotism, philanthropy and religion….”
Designed by Canadian architect Sidney Rose Badgley, it opened with a three day musical festival beginning on 14 June 1894. The hall soon gained international renown for its superb acoustics. Many of the world’s great musical artists, orators, dancers, lecturers, athletes and explorers have appeared on its stage.
Massey Hall has also been used for political assemblies, protest rallies, religious conventions, boxing and wrestling matches and union meetings. Throughout its first century, Massey Hall has fostered the entertainment, education and cultural advancement of the people of Toronto.
Toronto Historical Board, 1994″
Massey Hall
“Since its opening in 1894, Massey Hall has served as one of Canada’s most important cultural institutions. A gift to Toronto from wealthy industrialist Hart Massey, it provided the city with professional concert facilities. Its presence gave a new impetus to the city’s budding music community which let to the founding of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although criticized for its plain exterior, the concert hall has earned widespread renown for its outstanding acoustics. Over the years it has attracted orchestras, soloists and speakers from around the world.”
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada – Government of Canada
Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893 – 1973)
“Knighted in 1935 for services to music in Canada, Ernest MacMillan was a familiar figure to adults and school children alike. A composer and organist, he was for many years conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, principal of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and dean of the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto. MacMillan worked tirelessly to promote music and musicians at all levels. He supported new national music organizations, published widely, conducted local orchestras and choirs and adjudicated at music festivals in cities and towns across the country.”
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada – Government of Canada
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 178 Victoria St
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 178 Victoria St
- National Historic Site of Canada: Massey Hall
- National Historic Person of Canada: Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893 – 1973)
- Haunted Toronto by John Robert Colombo (1996), The Haunting of Massey Hall
- Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall: Historical Timeline & Revitalization Update
- PSICAN: Toronto’s Musical Ghosts
- Toronto Sun: STAGE IS SET…
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario, University of Calgary & Library and Archives Canada
- Interior Photos: The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall