Hidden away several blocks from the bustling billboard ads at Yonge-Dundas Square, hymns echo through the hallways of St. Michael’s Choir School.
The school, which occupies four buildings on Bond St., has been home to some famous musicians — Barenaked Ladies’ Kevin Hearn and crooner Matt Dusk — but also to rising stars.
“When you have a strong parental commitment, the students are going to do better overall, which is why the results are consistent,” said Domnic Melino, the school’s principal.
“Because there’s a music focus to the school, specifically choral and sacred music, there is less time available to teachers to cover the curriculum the ministry expects us to cover. Our boys in the elementary program do about 80 minutes of choral every day.”
St. Michael’s Choir scored a 10 in this year’s Fraser Institute annual study and has kept a Top-10 spot on the list over the past five years. What makes the learning environment unique is the music school across the road at 66 Bond St. is run by the Archdiocese of Toronto, while the rest of the school, founded in 1937, is funded by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. While academics is very important, Melino said, the choir comes first.
“Every Sunday, even on March Break when other kids are going away, our boys are here,” he said. “Or over Christmas holidays, they’re here. Dedication is huge. There’s an expectation that when our boys graduate from university and they settle down in their local parish, that they carry on with music ministry as cantors, organists or conductors.”
There are 180 elementary and 82 secondary students in the all-boys school. Its reading, writing and math scores from the Education Quality and Accountability Office tests last year were higher than the provincial average of 6.0. For the Grade 3s, they score perfect 100s in the reading and writing categories.
A dozen recital soundproof cubicles occupy the school’s lower level, where students can practise piano or stringed instruments one-on-one with teachers.
“We’re one of the top choir schools in the world,” Grade 3 teacher Peter Collins said. “There is a deep sense of pride and accomplishment that they perform as a team and in front of an audience of thousands. They make CDs and sell them and tour worldwide.”
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