hssb.ca

HSSB stands for the Hannaford Street Silver Band, an award-winning professional brass band based in Toronto and the resident company of Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. If you are trying to confirm what the organization is, where it performs, or what kind of concerts it presents, the short answer is: it is a professional Toronto brass band that programs a full season of concerts in several Toronto venues, often in collaboration with choirs, soloists, and guest ensembles.

What HSSB is

• A professional brass band, not a community or student group.
• Described on its site as Toronto's award-winning professional brass band.
• The resident company of Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

Where HSSB performs

The band's upcoming concerts are listed across multiple Toronto venues rather than a single home hall:

What kind of concerts HSSB presents

The season mixes classical and contemporary brass repertoire with cross-genre and collaborative programming. From the listed upcoming concerts:

• Requiem — an evening of remembrance and reflection featuring Bramwell Tovey's Requiem for a Charred Skull, with the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and conductor Kathleen Allan.
• A Celtic Holiday — Celtic music, song, and dance with fiddler Dan MacDonald, singer Michael Darcy, and Irish dancers, conducted by Gillian MacKay.
• BRASS Tango — Latin repertoire with the Payadora Tango Ensemble and a 10-piece Hannaford brass ensemble, conducted by Julian Pellicano.
• April in Brass — the season finale with trombone soloist Hillary Simms, featuring Canadian compositions and brass classics.

The band has also been described in a review quoted on its site as having "breath-taking power and precision" (Roger Hecht, American Record Guide).

Tickets and season access

Individual concert tickets are sold through a Ticketmaster link, and the site also offers a "Buy Tickets for the Full Season" option. The site does not state prices or whether any login is required, so check the ticket link for current terms.

If you want to know more

The site also notes sponsorship and donor support, and includes a land acknowledgment recognizing Indigenous peoples and supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. For current dates, venues, and ticket details, the upcoming concerts section of hssb.ca is the place to confirm.

Tickets for Hannaford Street Silver Band (HSSB) concerts are purchased through the ticket links listed on the HSSB website. Each concert in the upcoming season has its own "Buy Tickets" link, and there is a separate "Buy Tickets for the Full Season" option for the complete series. The links direct to Ticketmaster, so you complete the purchase there rather than on the HSSB site itself.

Upcoming Concerts and Their Ticket Links

The HSSB site lists four concerts for the season, each with its own Buy Tickets link:

Requiem — November 10, 2026

Conducted by Kathleen Allan and featuring the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto. The program centers on Bramwell Tovey's Requiem for a Charred Skull, with themes of memory, spirituality, and reconciliation. Use the Buy Tickets link on this concert's listing.

A Celtic Holiday — December 7, 2026

Conducted by Gillian MacKay, with fiddler Dan MacDonald, singer Michael Darcy, and Irish dancers. Expect reels, holiday favourites, and some audience participation.

BRASS Tango — February 14, 2027

Conducted by Julian Pellicano and featuring the Payadora Tango Ensemble alongside a 10-piece Hannaford brass ensemble. The program spans Argentine tango and milonga plus Cuban, Mexican, and Brazilian-inspired works.

April in Brass — April 11, 2027

The season finale, with trombone soloist Hillary Simms, pairing Canadian compositions with brass classics.

Buying a Full-Season Package

If you want all four concerts, use the "Buy Tickets for the Full Season" link on the HSSB site. It points to the same Ticketmaster system as the single-concert links, so the checkout process is the same.

What to Expect at Checkout

• Clicking any Buy Tickets link takes you to Ticketmaster, not an HSSB-hosted checkout.
• You select your seats and complete payment within Ticketmaster.
• The HSSB site does not list prices, fees, or seating charts, so check those details on the Ticketmaster page after the link opens.
• If a link does not load, return to the HSSB site and use the link from the specific concert listing rather than searching Ticketmaster directly.

Practical Notes

• Confirm the date, time, and venue before buying — the four concerts are at three different locations.
• The season runs from November 2026 to April 2027, so single tickets and the full-season package cover the same set of performances.
• For questions the site does not answer (accessibility seating, group rates, exchanges), contact HSSB directly, since those details are not published on the page.

The Hannaford Street Silver Band (HSSB), Toronto's award-winning professional brass band and resident company of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, has four concerts listed for its upcoming season, running from November 2026 through April 2027. Each program pairs the band with guest conductors, soloists, or partner ensembles, and tickets for individual concerts and the full season are sold through Ticketmaster.

Season at a Glance

What to Expect at Each Concert

Requiem — November 10, 2026

An evening of remembrance, reflection, and renewal. The program centers on Requiem for a Charred Skull by Bramwell Tovey, described as a monumental Canadian work. HSSB is joined by the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto under conductor Kathleen Allan, exploring themes of memory, spirituality, and reconciliation through contemporary works for brass and choir.

A Celtic Holiday — December 7, 2026

A seasonal celebration of Celtic music, song, and dance. Conductor Gillian MacKay leads the band alongside fiddler Dan MacDonald and Irish singer Michael Darcy, with Irish dancers also featured. The program moves from spirited reels to holiday favourites, and the description notes a dash of audience participation.

BRASS Tango — February 14, 2027

A Latin music program featuring the Payadora Tango Ensemble with a 10-piece Hannaford brass ensemble, conducted by Julian Pellicano. The repertoire spans classic Argentine tangos and milongas as well as Cuban, Mexican, and Brazilian-inspired works.

April in Brass — April 11, 2027

The season finale, an afternoon of virtuosity and new music. Trombonist Hillary Simms appears as soloist, and the program showcases Canadian compositions alongside brass classics.

Buying Tickets

Each concert listing includes a "Buy Tickets" link, and a separate option is available to "Buy Tickets for the Full Season." Both route through Ticketmaster. If you plan to attend more than one performance, the full-season option is worth checking first, since it may simplify purchasing — though pricing and any subscription terms are not stated on the page, so confirm details at checkout.

Practical Notes

• Venues vary. Two concerts are at the Jane Mallett Theatre, while Requiem is at Metropolitan United Church and A Celtic Holiday is at Ada Slaight Hall, Daniels Spectrum. Check the venue before planning travel.
• Start times differ. The fall and winter concerts begin at 7:30 PM, while the February and April concerts are 3:00 PM matinees.
• Dates are listed for 2026–2027. If you are reading this earlier, confirm the current season directly, as programs and dates can change.

For the most current information and any updates to the lineup, check the HSSB website or the linked Ticketmaster pages.

The Hannaford Street Silver Band (HSSB) accepts support from both corporate sponsors and individual donors, and it publicly acknowledges Indigenous peoples and related reconciliation commitments. The HSSB website states that the organization "is grateful for the assistance it receives from its corporate and its many individual donors," and it includes a "Support the HSSB" section alongside a "Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors" acknowledgment. The site also publishes a Land Acknowledgment and states support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Ways to Support HSSB

Based on the information published on hssb.ca, support takes two recognized forms:

• Corporate sponsorship — the organization thanks its corporate donors for their assistance.
• Individual donations — the site also thanks "its many individual donors," indicating that personal contributions are welcomed.

The website does not list specific donation amounts, membership tiers, or a dedicated online donation form in the available page content. If you want to give, the practical starting point is the "Support the HSSB" section of the site, which is where the organization directs this information.

Buying Tickets as a Form of Support

Attending concerts is another way to engage with the organization. The site provides a direct purchase path:

• Each upcoming concert listing includes a Buy Tickets link.
• A separate link, Buy Tickets for the Full Season, points to a Ticketmaster-hosted page (am.ticketmaster.com/tolive).

Note that the page evidence only confirms the existence of these ticket links; it does not state prices, fees, or whether any portion of ticket revenue is treated as a donation.

What Causes HSSB Acknowledges

The Land Acknowledgment on the site covers several commitments. In its own words, HSSB:

• Recognizes "the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples in this place."
• Supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
• Supports the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Expresses gratitude to "the past, present and future caretakers of this land."
• States a commitment to "ensuring our organization" — the sentence is cut off in the available excerpt, so the full scope of that commitment is not confirmed here.

This places HSSB's stated position within two widely referenced frameworks: the TRC Calls to Action (Canada's reconciliation recommendations) and UNDRIP (the UN's declaration on Indigenous rights).

Quick Reference

What the Page Does Not Specify

To avoid guessing: the available content does not state donation amounts, tax receipt details, membership benefits, sponsorship tiers, or a contact person for giving. For those specifics, check the "Support the HSSB" section directly or contact the organization through details listed on its site.

The Hannaford Street Silver Band (HSSB) is known for combining high-level brass performance with a wide range of collaborations and repertoire. Based on the organization's own site, it describes itself as "Toronto's award-winning professional brass band and resident company of Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts." Its artistic reputation rests on three things: critical recognition for its playing, partnerships with choirs and guest ensembles, and programming that mixes Canadian contemporary works with brass classics.

Critical Recognition

The site quotes American Record Guide critic Roger Hecht describing the band with "breath-taking power and precision." That phrasing points to the core of its artistic identity — a professional brass ensemble whose appeal is both technical (precision) and dynamic (power). For listeners deciding whether to attend, this is the clearest external signal of performance quality available on the page.

Collaborations Across Genres

HSSB's season shows it does not perform as an isolated brass band. Its upcoming concerts pair the ensemble with:

• Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto — for Requiem, an evening of remembrance and reflection
• Payadora Tango Ensemble — for BRASS Tango, a program spanning Argentine tango and milonga as well as Cuban, Mexican, and Brazilian influences
• Guest soloists and folk performers — such as trombonist Hillary Simms, fiddler Dan MacDonald, and singer Michael Darcy

This pattern suggests the band is known for adapting its brass sound to choral, Latin, Celtic, and classical contexts rather than sticking to a single format.

Repertoire: Canadian Works and Brass Classics

The programming leans on contemporary Canadian composition alongside established brass repertoire. Requiem features Bramwell Tovey's Requiem for a Charred Skull, described as a monumental Canadian work exploring memory, spirituality, and reconciliation. The season closer, April in Brass, is built around "exciting Canadian compositions alongside brilliant brass classics." So if you are trying to place HSSB artistically, it sits at the intersection of new Canadian music and the traditional brass band tradition.

Conductors and Artistic Leadership

The season is led by multiple conductors rather than one fixed music director:

Working with different conductors per program is consistent with a band that treats each concert as a distinct artistic project.

What This Means If You're Deciding Whether to Attend

• If you want serious contemporary choral-brass repertoire, Requiem is the closest fit.
• If you want rhythm-driven, cross-cultural programming, BRASS Tango is the clearest example.
• If you want seasonal and accessible fare, A Celtic Holiday includes audience participation.
• If you want solo virtuosity and new Canadian music, April in Brass features trombonist Hillary Simms.

Tickets for individual concerts and for the full season are sold through the links on the HSSB site.