Set lightly amidst Toronto's social and political history, the book describes the musical activity in Toronto from 1870 to the 1920s. This accessible volume is both a biography of conductor Frank Welsman ( 1873-1952) and a history of music for a period which has not previously been well documented. It adds significant information to the history of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra which dates its origins to 1923. The book demonstrates convincingly that the story of the TSO actually began in 1906. In addition to primary sources, the author has drawn extensively on oral history garnered from members of Welsman's family.