T. J. Crawford

Thomas J. Crawford, known as T. J. Crawford, (11 June 1877 – 6 July 1955) was a Scottish-born Canadian organist, conductor, composer, and music educator. He held organist posts in Germany and England prior to relocating to Canada in 1922. He held several organist posts in churches in Toronto, and was conductor of the Eaton Operatic Society. He served as president of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in 1929, and taught on the faculty of The Royal Conservatory of Music from 1922 until his death in 1955. His compositional output included sacred music, orchestral music, works for organ and piano, songs, and two children’s operas. Life and career Thomas J. Crawford was born in Barrhead, Scotland on 11 June 1877. His parents had religious and political differences; with his Scottish businessman father supporting the Liberal Party and his English mother supporting the Tories. He began working as an organist in 1890 at the age of 13 at a Scottish congregational church. His early music studies were in Glasgow where he studied with organ and music theory with Harry Sandiford Turner and Otto Schweitzer. He served a term as president of the RCCO in 1929, and was known for his annual con