Chapel Music: Who’s Who?

New Director of Music

It is a privilege and delight to announce that Gabriel O’Brien has accepted an offer to serve as Director of Music at King’s beginning May 1 of this year!

Gabriel will be well known to many who read this. He is a recent graduate (BMus ’23) with a musical history at King’s that began long before he arrived as a student. He sang for many years as a chorister with Capella Regalis and served as an organist in the Chapel. As a student, he was a vital part of virtually every aspect of music at King’s. Since graduation he has served as Director of Music at two churches in York in the UK. He brings back to King’s many gifts, including a robust vision for music not only in the Chapel, but in the University more broadly and in the wider Halifax community.

Gabriel O’Brien, incoming director of music

Gabriel O’Brien, Incoming Director of Music

Gabriel O’Brien grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, making music in and around the University of King’s College. As a child, he sang weekly Evensong services in the King’s Chapel as a chorister in Capella Regalis Men & Boys choir. In high school, he took up the organ and served as the Sunday Morning Organist in the King’s Chapel. Shortly thereafter, he became Assistant Artistic Director and Probationers’ Programme Director of Capella Regalis, with responsibility for the junior choir. Gabriel studied at King’s, where he served as Organ Scholar and later Assistant Director of the King’s Chorus. He graduated from King’s and the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Music degree specializing in Organ and Composition.

Outside of  King’s, Gabriel held organ scholarships in Halifax at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, St George’s Round Church, and St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, and in Ottawa at Dominion Chalmers United Church.

After graduating from King’s, Gabriel moved to York, England. In York, he serves as Director of Music in two churches in the historic city centre, All Saints Pavement and St Helen’s, where he directs the parish choir and choral & organ scholars. Gabriel also works as a Duty Manager at the National Centre for Early Music and in the Visitor Experience department at York Minster Cathedral.

Garth MacPhee, Interim Director of Chapel Music

Garth MacPhee, Interim Director of Chapel Music

Garth MacPhee is a native Nova Scotian and a graduate of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University (M.Mus '06), where he studied organ with John Grew and Dr William Porter. Garth has a long association with Saint George's Round Church in Halifax, having served as Director of Music from 1997-2000. In 2011 he returned to St George's after a 10 year sojourn in Victoria, BC and Montreal, Que. 

Beyond his work at St George's, Garth is the Resident Musician for the Anglican Formation Class at the Atlantic School of Theology. Garth is on the faculty of the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, where he conducts Seton Conservatory Choir. 

In addition to his training as an organist, Garth is an accomplished continuo player, conductor and singer. He relishes opportunities to collaborate, perform and learn from other wonderful musicians. He finds joy in sharing his passion for music with students of all ages.

Pronouns: he/him

Amelia McMahon, Interim Director of King’s Chorus

Amelia McMahon (photo credit: Luke Fraser)

Amelia McMahon (she / her / elle) grew up in the Annapolis Valley and recently returned to Nova Scotia after making her home in Montreal for 21 years. Along with her role as Interim Conductor of the King's Chorus, she is the Artistic Director of the South Shore Chorale Society, Co-Principal Conductor of Borealis (formerly Eastern Horizon), Resident Conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, Conductor of the Sir Charles Tupper School Choir, Associate Conductor of The Halifax Camerata Singers, and is on the vocal and choral faculties at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She regularly sings at St. George’s Round Church, with East Coast Carolling, has had roles in two operas produced by Vocalypse, and is excited to be a member of the new vocal jazz quartet, Canvas. Mentored throughout her career by Maestro Iwan Edwards, Amelia studied choral conducting at Université de Sherbrooke and holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Voice from McGill University.

 
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