Massey Hall, Toronto live recordings and venue details
Massey Hall, built in 1894, has long been the heart of Toronto music. It was designed by Canadian architect Sidney Badgley with a neoclassical facade at 178 Victoria St. and moorish arches that span the width of the interior. He took his inspiration from the Alhambra Place in Spain as well as Louis Sullivan's Chicago Auditorium and Opera house. Around the top of the hall are thirty stained glass windows, each depicting a famous composer made by the Faircloth Brothers glass firm.
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir began singing there in 1895, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra played there from 1921 until moving to Roy Thompson hall after their Gala Farewell Concert at Massey Hall on June 4th, 1982.
Historic timeline
- The Massey Music Hall (its original name) began with Hart Massey, who wanted to build a secular meeting place in memory of his son Charles where people from Toronto could meet and enjoy choral music not of a religious theme.
- Massey Hall was completed in 1894, as designed by architect Sidney Badgley.
- The first performance on June 14, 1894, featured a grand performance of Handel's Messiah by a 500-member chorus and a 70-member orchestra, led by conductor Frederick Torrington.
- The iconic fire-escapes bolted on the front of Massey Hall were added just after the Great Fire of Toronto in 1904 (and have since been removed).
- In May 1953, Massey Hall was the location of a notable jazz concert featuring: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. (The famous performance was recorded and released as Jazz at Massey Hall.)
Additional websites
Massey Hall location
Located in the Garden District neighborhood at:
178 Victoria Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 1T7
CA
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 1T7
CA
GPS: 43.65417222237903, -79.37854849625054
Concerts at Massey Hall
Concerts by date
- 1953 - Immortal Concerts - Toronto, Massey Hall, May 15, 1953
- 1975 - Bob Marley and the Wailers - Massey Hall, Toronto June 8th 06/08/75
- 1976 - Rush - June 12th, 1976 - Live from Massey Hall, Toronto - Night 2
- 1976 - Van der Graaf Generator - 15 OCT 76 Canada, Toronto, Massey Hall
- 1984 - David Gilmour Concert - Massey Hall, Toronto - May 15th, 1984
- 1986 - R.E.M. Live with Natalie Merchant - 1986-10-27 Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada
- 1999 - IRON MAIDEN - TORONTO CANADA 1999
- 2008 - Smashing Pumpkins Live at Massey Hall on 2008-11-03
- 2012 - Death Cab for Cutie Live with Magik*Magik at Massey Hall on 2012-04-19
- 2014 - The Rural Alberta Advantage Live at Massey Hall | July 8, 2014
- 2015 - Sloan Live at Massey Hall in Toronto on September 11, 2015
- 2017 - The New Pornographers | Live at Massey Hall | October 14, 2017
- 2022 - Live at Massey Hall: Broken Social Scene - April 20, 2022
- 2023 - July Talk live at Massey Hall in 2023 - presented by CBC Music
Concerts by artist
- Bob Marley and the Wailers on Sunday June 8th 1975
- Broken Social Scene on Wednesday April 20th 2022
- Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Bud Powell on Friday May 15th 1953
- David Gilmour on Monday May 14th 1984
- Death Cab for Cutie on Thursday April 19th 2012
- Iron Maiden on Tuesday July 20th 1999
- July Talk on Saturday March 11th 2023
- The New Pornographers on Saturday October 14th 2017
- R.E.M. on Monday October 27th 1986
- Rural Alberta Advantage on Tuesday July 8th 2014
- Rush on Saturday June 12th 1976
- Sloan on Friday September 11th 2015
- The Smashing Pumpkins on Monday November 3rd 2008
- Van der Graaf Generator on Friday October 15th 1976
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