Brantford’s Ronald Beckett was named the inaugural winner of the Canadian Music Centre’s Walter MacNutt Prize on Monday, March 4, 2024.
This prize is awarded biennially and recognizes a composer who is actively working with the genres of choral music, art song, and/or keyboard improvisation. “This prize honours Walter’s warm, open, and generous spirit and his high regard for beauty, precision, and his audience, all of which radiated from his person and his music.” (on.cmccanada.org).
Ronald Beckett has had numerous compositions performed by ensembles throughout Ontario. He has written three operas that constitute a trilogy: Ruth, John, and I Am…. that have been given fully staged performances by Arcady and Queens Student Opera.
Beckett’s catalogue of compositions includes a number of additional large-scale works for orchestra or orchestra and chorus and an abundance of chamber music and pieces for piano and organ. Since 2008, he has written a great number of songs and music for youth, specifically for the Arcady Youth Singers.
Beckett is the Founding Director of Arcady, an organization that was established in order to encourage outstanding young musicians by providing for them a bridge between their student and professional performing careers. Most of Arcady’s work is centered around Beckett’s music, as well as, that of the ensemble’s emerging artist composers.
Walter MacNutt was a well-loved organist, choirmaster, and composer, especially in his long-time parish home of St. Thomas’ Anglican Church. Throughout his life, he composed a magnificent selection of works for choir, voice, and orchestra which encompassed both secular and sacred genres. Although originally from Charlottetown, he studied at the Toronto Conservatory of Music and served as organist and choirmaster in multiple churches across Ontario. He was also an Associate Composer member of the Canadian Music Centre and conducted several performances of the Windsor Singers for CBC Radio.
