The St. Lawrence Choir is a Canadian mixed-voice choir that performs music from the classical choral repertoire as well as contemporary works by Canadian and other composers. It was founded in 1972.

History

St. Lawrence Choir was formed in 1972 by

Iwan Edwards Iwan Edwards (October 5, 1937 – March 4, 2022) was a Welsh-born Canadian choral conductor. Over a forty-year span he founded and conducted several choirs. He was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 1995.West Island The West Island (, ) is the unofficial name given to the city, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Lachine (specific ...

of Montreal. Concerts were presented in Lachine until 1983 when the Choir relocated to

downtown Montreal Downtown Montreal (French language, French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the ...

. Between 1986 and 2009, the Choir regularly appeared with the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. History Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...

as the amateur component of the Montreal Symphony (OSM) chorus, and made numerous recordings with the symphony. With the OSM, the Choir appeared in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Philadelphia, Saratoga Springs and at the Lanaudière International Music Festival. In 1992, the Choir was involved in two concerts to mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of Montreal. On November 1, 1998, the Choir performed with a gala philharmonic orchestra and a number of children's choirs to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the State of Israel, with proceeds going to the

Montreal Children's Hospital Montreal Children's Hospital () is a children's hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1904, it is affiliated with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University, Faculty of Medicine. The hospital has 154 single-pati ...

Foundation. In 1989 thru 2000, St. Lawrence Choir performed with the OSM and

Charles Dutoit Charles Édouard Dutoit is a Swiss conductor. He is the principal guest conductor for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia. In 2017, he became the 103rd recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Award. Dutoit held previous positions ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

and the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

to critical acclaim, presenting works by

Faure Faure () is an Occitan family name meaning blacksmith, from Latin . It is pronounced in French (unlike Fauré which is pronounced ). People Politicians * Dominique Faure (born 1959), French politician * Edgar Faure (1908–1988), French poli ...

Dallapiccola Luigi Dallapiccola (3 February 1904 – 19 February 1975) was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions. Biography Dallapiccola was born in Pisino d'Istria (at the time part of Austria-Hungary, current Pazin, Croati ...

, Szymanowski,

Orff Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education. Life Earl ...

, de Falla, and

Theodorakis Theodorakis () is a Greek surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Mikis Theodorakis (1925–2021), Greek composer and politician * Maria Theodorakis, Australian actress * Stavros Theodorakis Stavros Theodorakis ( ; born 1963) is a G ...

. In 2007-2008 the St. Lawrence Choir was directed by Marika Kuzma during her sabbatical from University of California, Berkeley. From 2008 to 2013 it was directed by Swiss-born conductor Michael Zaugg, now director of Pro Coro Canada in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2014, versatile and passionate choral musician, Philippe Bourque was appointed Artistic Director of the choir and has led the choir on new-concept collaborations. Philippe Bourque studied choral and orchestral conducting with

Julian Wachner use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

Robert Ingari

Alexis Hauser Alexis Hauser (born May 25, 1947) is an Austrian conductor and professor at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Winner of the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglew ...

and Ivars Taurins, and graduated from the McGill University Schulich School of Music with distinction. He is the recipient of a Lieutenant Governor's Award at the Vincent-d'Indy School of Music and is a Fellow of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Since its inception, the St. Lawrence Choir broadcast numerous concerts across Quebec, the rest of Canada and Europe, over the French and English channels of the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

and via

Euroradio European Radio for Belarus (ERB; ; ), also known as Euroradio (; ), is an international radio station that provides independent news, information, and entertainment to the citizens of Belarus. It launched on 26 February 2006. ERB operates on FM, ...

Notable Collaborations

Soloists and Orchestras

The St. Lawrence Choir has worked with excellent soloists and orchestras including: *Baroque ensemble Les Boréades *the McGill Chamber Orchestra *the Ensemble Amati *

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. ...

*John Avey, Theodore Baerg *

Colette Boky Colette Boky (born Marie-Rose Élisabeth Giroux; June 4, 1935), is a French-Canadian operatic soprano, particularly associated with lyric roles in the French, Italian, and German repertories. Life and career Born Marie-Rose Élisabeth Giroux, in ...

*Benjamin Butterfield *

Ben Heppner Thomas Bernard Heppner (born January 14, 1956) is a renowned Canadian tenor and broadcaster, now retired from singing, who specialized in opera and other classical works for voice. Early life Heppner, was born in Murrayville, British Columb ...

*Gaëtan Laperierre *Daniel Lichti *

Richard Margison Richard Charles Margison, OC (born 16 July 1953) is a Canadian operatic tenor and lives in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. Background Margison began his career in Victoria, BC, where, he sang folk songs in the coffeehouses and clubs. He appeared ...

*Kevin McMillan *

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career started ...

*Gary Relyea *Henriette Schellenberg * Daniel Taylor *Nathaniel Watson.

Notable performances by conductor

The Choir has worked alongside the

to perform classic pieces under their conductors such as: *

Franz-Paul Decker Franz-Paul Decker (26 June 1923 – 19 May 2014) was a German-born conductor. Life Decker was born in Cologne, Germany, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik with Philip Jarnach and Eugen Papst. He made his conducting debut at the ag ...

conducting

Handel's Messiah ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 ...

conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 8,

Berlioz's Requiem The ''Grande Messe des morts'' (or Requiem), Op. 5, by Hector Berlioz was composed in 1837. The ''Grande Messe des Morts'' is one of Berlioz's best-known works, with a tremendous orchestration of woodwind and brass instruments, including four an ...

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus number, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many criti ...

, Verdi's Requiem, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater *

Iwan Edwards Iwan Edwards (October 5, 1937 – March 4, 2022) was a Welsh-born Canadian choral conductor. Over a forty-year span he founded and conducted several choirs. He was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 1995.Handel's Messiah ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 ...

, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Bach's B minor Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah *Grossman conducting

Nicholas McGegan James Nicholas McGegan OBE (born 14 January 1950 in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England) is a British harpsichordist, flutist, conductor and early music expert. Biography McGegan received his early education at Nottingham High School. He subse ...

conducting

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 2 *

Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

conducting Penderecki's Polish Requiem * Robert Shaw conducting Beethoven's Missa Solemnis *

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 3

Works by Canadian Composers

The St. Lawrence Choir is proud to have presented works by Canadian composers such as: * Victor Davies *

Ruth Watson Henderson Ruth Louise Watson Henderson (born 23 November 1932) is a Canadian composer and pianist. She was the accompanist for the Festival Singers of Canada under Dr. Elmer Iseler for many years, where she developed her ear for composing mixed-choral work ...

Jacques Hétu Jacques Joseph Robert Hétu (August 8, 1938 – February 9, 2010) was a prominent Canadian composer and music educator. Hétu is the most frequently performed of Canadian classical composers, both within Canada and internationally. Educati ...

*Jean Laplante * Donald Patriquin *

Imant Raminsh Imant Karlis Raminsh ( Latvian: Imants Kārlis Ramiņš, born 18 September 1943) is a Canadian composer of Latvian descent, best known for his choral compositions. He resides in Coldstream, British Columbia. Early life and education Born in ...

*Bruce Ruddell *Patrick Wedd * Gilles Tremblay for the premiere of ‘Avec’ *

Alain Gagnon Alain Gagnon (22 May 1938 − 26 March 2017) was a Canadian composer and music educator based in Laval, Quebec. His compositions have been performed by ensembles throughout Canada. Early life and education Gagnon was born in Trois-Pistoles, Queb ...

for the Canadian premiere of ‘Chansons d’Orient’ in 2011 *Ivo Antognini for the world premiere of ‘Brink of Eternity’ in 2011

References

External links

"St. Lawrence Choir"
''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''

{{authority control Musical groups established in 1972 Canadian choirs Musical groups from Montreal