Tribute: Thomas Fitches 1945 – 2023
THOMAS “Tom” Fitches was the superb organist and beloved choral director. at St. Clement’s Anglican Church in North Toronto from 1973 to 2015, and – in semi-retirement – served as organist at Grace Church-on- the-Hill. Despite a cancer diagnosis, he continued to serve, play and teach in churches throughout the city. He passed away on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22.
The bell in St Clement’s bell tower is named “Faithful Tom” for “this man who embodied this particular fruit of the Spirit so wholeheartedly,” said the rector, Rev. Andrew Federle.
A past president of the Toronto Centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Fitches also served for twenty years as Choral Advisor and Conductor of the St. Catherine’s Chapel Choir of Massey College, now the Chapel Royal.
An expert in tonal fine-tuning in pipe organs, he voiced many instruments in Canada. He was also a featured artist in services and concerts across Canada, in the United Kingdom and France.
In 2016, Trinity College in the University of Toronto honoured Fitches with a doctorate of divinity (honoris causa) and a year earlier he was also honoured by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto for his contributions and commitments over many years to Anglican church music.
Daphne Hart, a fellow student of Tom’s at Harmony Public School in Oshawa in the 1950s, remembered “his friendly demeanour and incredible musical talent.”
His career began in Toronto as assistant organist at St. Simon the Apostle in 1965.
Fitches was happy to introduce the organ with its massive pipes to young children, whether it was the local 23rd Toronto Cub Pack that met at St Clement’s or neighbourhood children during their annual street party. They particularly relished the loud trumpet sounds the instrument could emit.
As the organist at many a wedding, Fitches witnessed some hilarious moments. He recounted how one young curate went suddenly silent while conducting the rite. The rector who was standing beside him whispered a prompt, “You may kiss the bride,” at which point the curate kissed the startled bride.
When Fitches’ funeral was held at St. Clement’s on March 9, the church was packed. He is survived by his sister, Jane Delaney; his brother, Richard Fitches; his nephew, Jeremy Buffett; and niece, Jennifer Buffett, and their families.
Donations in his memory would be welcomed by The Tom Fitches Fund at St. Clement’s (established in 2015 to support music in all its forms at the church) either by cheque or by e-Transfer to finance@stclementsto.ca with ‘Tom Fitches Fund’ in the memo field.
In his obituary published in The Globe and Mail, his family concluded with some lines from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales:
‘He never yet had any vileness said, in all his life, to whatsoever wight. He was a truly perfect, gentle knight.’ TAP
