T.O. concert for Queen’s 90th was indeed Happy and Glorious

Martin Knelman, Toronto Star.

It was a highly enjoyable celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday with a distinctively Canadian twist. And it should have been on national TV in prime time so millions could have joined the party. Instead, the evening was savoured by mere hundreds of lucky ticket holders, many invited, which gave it the flavour of an insider occasion.

Happy and Glorious, written and produced by author and historian Hugh Brewster, was presented Monday evening at Koerner Hall by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario — the Queen’s representative in Ontario, a.k.a. Elizabeth Dowdeswell — in association with the Royal Conservatory of Music.

From an Ontario perspective, the most stirring mix of provincial pride and nostalgia came when the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir sang “A Place to Stand,” which became an anthem for the Ontario Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, which the Queen visited.

Read the full review online.

WATCH THE CONCERT ONLINE: You can enjoy the full concert, Happy and Glorious, on YouTube.