In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

List of Choral Groups

Here is our ever-growing list of choral groups from around the world. Each of these choirs listed has at least one CD recording available.

Displaying 51 - 100 of 276 items.

Choral Arts of Chattanooga

Choral Arts of Chattanooga was created in 1985 by Dr. John Hamm to provide an opportunity for professionally trained singers to perform choral masterpieces. Dr. Hamm was succeeded after ten years as artistic director by Philip Rice. Under the leadership of these distinguished musicians, Choral Arts has performed such masterworks as Honeggar's "King David", Beethoven's "Miss Solemnis," the Requiems of Brahms, Mozart, Faure, and Durufle.

Chorus Angelicus

Chorus Angelicus is comprised of four choral ensembles, involving more than seventy children who hail from towns throughout southwestern New England. The Artistic Director is Grammy-nominated composer and conductor, Nicholas White, and the choirs are in residence at Trinity Episcopal Church in Torrington, CT.

The choruses perform a large and varied repertoire, from the classics of choral literature to contemporary and original compositions. There is a strong emphasis placed on musical education, as well as performance, for all the age groups and ability levels.

Christ Church Cathedral Choir

Although Christ Church Cathedral Choir is 500 years old, it is justly famous for the youthfulness of its sound and its daring and adventurous musical programming. Unique in the world as both Cathedral and College choir, the intimate acoustic of its musical home, Oxford's 12th-century Cathedral, has given it a relationship with early sacred music and the rhythm and vigour of contemporary idioms which is second to none.

Throughout its history, the Choir has attracted many distinguished composers and organists, from its first director, John Taverner, appointed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526, to William Walton in the 20th century. In recent years, the Choir has commissioned and recorded works by composers such as John Tavener, William Mathias, Robert Saxton and Howard Goodall.

Cincinnati Boychoir

Founded in 1965 under the auspices of the Cincinnati Public Schools, the Cincinnati Boychoir has presented approximately thirty-five annual performances in the Greater Cincinnati community and for local television stations, community organizations, churches, clubs, and retirement homes. Boys audition for the choir by recommendation of school music teachers, and come from all areas of southwest Ohio, southeast Indiana, and northern Kentucky.

The Boychoir has performed at the invitation of and in collaboration with the Cincinnati Opera, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus, the Metropolitan Festival Choir and Orchestra of Detroit, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Boys' Choir. The boys have appeared at the Crystal Cathedral, aired internationally on the Hour of Power, and at Carnegie Hall as part of the Field Studies International Honors Children's Choir.

Collegium Regale

Collegium Regale (Latin for 'King's College') is the close harmony group made up of the Choral Scholars of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. As Choral Scholars we sing the daily routine of chapel services throughout term as well as undertaking a busy concert and recording schedule in the vacations, often working with leading orchestras notably the Academy of Ancient Music. The Choir is of course most famous for the broadcasts of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on BBC TV and Radio each Christmas, which reach an estimated 120 million people worldwide.

Collegium Regale however functions as a separate entity from the main choir and is run entirely by the members of the group itself. It performs regularly around Britain, touring each Easter in two groups, North and South, and in the past has performed as far afield as Canada, the United States and Hong Kong.

Collegium Vocale

Collegium Vocale Gent was founded in 1970 on the initiative of Philippe Herreweghe. It was one of the first ensembles to use the then-new ideas about baroque practice in vocal music performances. Musicians such as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman and Nikolaus Harnoncourt immediately took an interest in the Flemish ensemble's fresh, new approach, which led to intensive collaboration. In the mid-1980s the ensemble acquired international fame and was invited to all the major concert halls and music festivals of Europe, Israel, the United States, Russian, South America, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

The repertoire of Collegium Vocale Ghent is not limited to one particular stylistic period. The ensemble's greatest strength is that it can put together the ideal combination of voices for performing Renaissance polyphony, Classical and Romantic oratorios or contemporary music. Since 2009 a collaboration has been set up with the Accademia Chigiana in Siena for the performance of the major symphonic repertoire and recruitment of singers at the European level. Baroque music, and in particular the works of J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel, is the mainstay of the ensemble's concert schedule.

Colorado Children's Chorale

For more than three decades, the Colorado Children's Chorale has brought its artistry and charm to audiences throughout the world. With a diverse repertoire ranging from fully staged opera and musical theater to standard choral compositions in classical, folk and popular traditions, the Chorale performs with an innovative stage presentation and a unique theatrical spirit. In recognition of its artistic excellence, the Chorale was awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts and the prestigious El Pomar Award for Excellence in Arts and Humanities.

Concordia Choir

If you're looking for a nationally and internationally recognized music program, with performance organizations to match, you've come to the right place. Concordia's seven majors, nationally broadcast Concordia Christmas Concerts, 17 music ensembles and more than 700 private lessons taught each week by Concordia's 45 music faculty members, are an integral part of life here.

A Concordia music major will prepare you for a wide variety of careers, from professional musician, to music teacher, conductor, composer and more. Many students choose to minor in music, to complement their other studies. Even more choose to play in one of our music ensembles, making music an important part of their life at Concordia, even though it is not their major area of study.

Conspirare

Conspirare is a virtuoso choir. Our Grammy-winning ensemble comprises distinctive solo artists who are also committed to the highest level of ensemble performance. These professional singers travel to Austin from around the country to perform together, providing our audiences with a rare level of choral music making.

Copenhagen Girls' Choir

The Copenhagen Girls' Choir rates among the best of its kind in Denmark and has its home at the Sankt Annae Gymnasium, the Copenhagen Municipal Choir School. The Choir has a broad repertoire with special focus on new music and popular music. Many composers of stature have felt persuaded to write for the choir, among them Knut Nystedt, Ib Norholm, Svend S. Schultz, Thomas Clausen, Leif Kayser and Michael Bojesen. This music is often taken up by other girls' choirs. The choir also performs older music by composers such as Gabriel Faure and Johs. Brahms.

The Copenhagen Girls' Choir is characterized by its homogenous sound, partly resulting from the fact that the girls are of the same age, partly a result of the careful voice-training that all the pupils of the Sankt Annae Gymnasium go through.

Coro Cervantes

Coro Cervantes is a unique professional chamber choir. Through its performances and recordings it aims to bring the music of Iberia and Latin America to audiences everywhere.

Founded by its director Carlos Fernandez Aransay under the auspices of the Instituto Cervantes in London, Coro Cervantes made its first public appearance at the Spanish Embassy in 1996. It has since performed at London venues including St. James Smith Square, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and gave its sold-out 10th anniversary concert at the Wigmore Hall. In 2009 we performed the inaugural concert of the National Gallery exhibition The Sacred made Real, and we have started 2010 with a concert in Madrid, part of the Sacred Art Festival.

Coro de Radio Television Espanola

Founded in 1950, with the name of 'The Classical Singers' was directed by Roberto Pla until 1952, when he becomes a' National Radio Choir, "directed by Odon Alonso until 1958, when it happened to be directed by Alberto Blancafort. Posteriormente han sido titulares: Pedro Pirfano , Pascual Ortega , Jordi Casas , Miguel Amantegui y Laszlo Heltay , Mariano Alfonso y en la actualidad Josep Vil a. Subsequently have held: Pedro Pirfano, Pascual Ortega, Jordi Casas, Miguel Amantegui and Laszlo Heltay, Mariano Alfonso and now Vil Josep a.

Esta considerado como uno de los mejores conjuntos corales de Espana , y su labor en el campo de nuestra polifonia profana y religiosa no tiene parangon; asimismo en su repertorio figuran numerosas obras contemporaneas de compositores nacionales y extranjeros. He is considered one of the best choral ensembles from Spain, and its work in the field of our religious and secular polyphony is unparalleled, also in his repertoire includes many contemporary works of local and foreign composers.

Counterpoint

Robert De Cormier acted as music director of the New York Choral Society for seventeen years and under his leadership the group became renowned for its high standard of excellence in choral singing and unique variety of programming. As Music Director Emeritus he guest conducted a performance of the Verdi Requiem in 1990, the Berlioz Requiem at St. Paul's Cathedral, New York City in 1992 and the premiere of a commissioned work, the Missa Iona in 1993 at St. Bartholomew's in New York City. A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Mr. De Cormier's other conducting engagements have taken him from Broadway and opera to the Berkshire Choral Institute, the Zimriya World Assembly of Choirs in Israel and numerous concert tours throughout the United States and Canada with his own professional group, the Robert De Cormier Singers. He spent many years as conductor and arranger for Harry Belafonte and has been music director for the popular folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary for the past twenty years.

Crouch End Festival Chorus

In just over 25 years Crouch End Festival Chorus has established itself as one Britain's major choruses, and has gained both national and international recognition. Based in north London, the choir grew from a small start: enthusiasts handing out leaflets outside a local supermarket in summer 1984 asking for singers for Verdi's Requiem. In 2008 the choir returned to this work - this time in its fifth BBC Proms appearance at the Royal Albert Hall - and after singing Berlioz at the world's greatest classical music festival in 2009, we were invited back to sing Mahler's 8th Symphony at the First Night of the Proms in 2010. It's a measure of how far the chorus has come in a relatively short time.

Crystal Children's Choir

Crystal Children's Choir was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1994. Since then, it has grown into a 1,000 member organization. The choir's mission is to strive for choral music excellence by providing choral music education to children and blending the best of Eastern and Western musical traditions.

>Crystal Children's Choir has toured Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America, and has performed at prestigious venues including St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican, Taipei National Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Davies Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Beijing Concert Hall. Crystal Children's Choir also received numerous invitations to perform in the CMEA Convention and the 2004 National Kodaly Educators Conventions. In 2006, the choir was selected to perform at the MENC 60th National Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Crystal Children's Choir also made two appearances at the ACDA Western Division Convention in 2002 and 2006 and was honored to p

Dale Warland Singers

The mission of the Dale Warland Singers is to enrich, inspire and entertain its audiences through the superb, world-class performance of important a cappella choral music, while fostering awareness, understanding and appreciation of recent choral music repertoire.

The American Composers Forum (ACF) today announced the establishment of the "Dale Warland Singers Fund for New Choral Music" as part of its Whitaker Endowment Fund. Created with the endorsement of the Dale Warland Singers (DWS) board as a lasting legacy of the ensemble and its music director, Dale Warland, the fund will be used for the commissioning, performance and recording of new choral work and will be publicly announced at the Dale Warland Singers' final concert dinner reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis on May 30, 2004.

Damenes Aften

Damenes Aften was founded by Erland Dalen in 1992, and has existed more or less in the same form as then, ever since. The name Damenes Aften (Ladies' Evening) has become a familiar name in the cultural scene in large areas of Eastern Norway.

The choir started out as a women's choir, but was for a short period of time changed into a chamber choir with mixed voices, before it went back to being a women's choir in 1995. It's been a women's choir ever since, with a number of members being at about 16 singers. In October 2007 the choir won three classes in which they competed in Riva del Garda, Italy. They were ranked no. 15 among Musica Mundis Top 1000 choirs, and no. 5 within performers of Sacred Music.

The choir has also performed in a Habaneras-competition in Torrevieja in Spain, as well as many other festivals in- and outside of Norway. They have visited Spain several times, and value the opportunity to travel. Concerts with great artists like Arve Tellefsen, Sissel Kyrkjebo, Bjorn Eidsvag, Ole Edvard Antonsen and Sigvart Dagsland has given the choir wonderful experiences.

Danish National Radio Choir

The Danish National Radio Choir was founded in 1932 with the purpose of performing the wide-ranging repertoire of oratorios, and symphonic works for choir and orchestra. The choir numbers 74 professional singers, 31 of whom are permanently employed forming the chamberchoir. The remaining 43 singers, who form the symphonic choir, are under 5-year contracts. Every season the choir appears regularly within the Thursday Concert Series of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In 1937 the smaller full time professional chamberchoir was established in order to develop the art of a cappella singing and to inspire the composers to investigate new possibilities in this field. Throughout the years the DNRC has performed with special acclaim under conductors such as Fritz Busch, Rafael Kubelik, Sergiu Celibidache, Kurt Sanderling, Gustav Kuhn, and the chief conductors of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Herbert Blomstedt 1967-77, Lamberto Gardelli (1984-1988), Leif Segerstam 1989-1995 and, from August 1995, Ulf Schirmer. Since 1989 Stefan Parkman has been Chief Conductor of the DNRC and in 1992 Uwe Gronostay was appointed Principal Guest Conductor.

David Fanshawe

David Fanshawe, a Churchill Fellow and the recipient of many international awards, was an internationally distinguished composer, ethno-musicologist, sound recordist, archivist, performer, dynamic and entertaining lecturer, record producer, photographer and author. Also widely known for his lead roles in documentaries; a TV, radio and public personality extraordinaire, he is acclaimed as "one of the world's most original composers."

David Fanshawe was born in 1942 in Devon, England and was educated at St George's Choir School and Stowe. In 1959 he joined the Film Producers Guild in London gaining valuable experience as a documentary film editor and recordist. In 1965, he won a Foundation Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, studying composition with John Lambert. He gained national recognition in 1970, as cantor soloist and composer, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with Salaams, a work based on the rhythms of the Bahrain pearl divers. His ambition to record indigenous folk music began in the Middle East, in and was intensified on subsequent journeys through North and East Africa (1969-75) resulting in his unique and highly original blend of Music and Travel.

Debrecen Kodaly Chorus

The Debreceni Kodaly Korus was founded in 1955 by Gyorgy Gulyas and is one of Hungary's oldest and most highly regarded professional concert choirs. The choir is mainly sponsored by the city of Debrecen, the second largest in the country. The membership of the choir numbers between 40 and 50. The repertoire of the choir is very rich, it ranges from the unaccompanied, a cappella pieces through the European classical oratorios to the newest contemporary choral works. Since 1990 more than a hundred different oratorical works have been performed by the Debrecen Kodaly Chorus. The list of first performances of Hungarian and other European compositions is impressively long. Above all, the choral works of Zoltan Kodaly are in the centre of the repertoire.

Since its foundation the Chorus has given more than 2000 concerts in 40 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Some of the most significant awards and prizes the Debrecen Kodaly Chorus has earned: Csokonai Prize 1980; Artisjus Prize 1992; Bela Bartok and Ditta Pasztory Prize 1994 ; Pro Arte Hungarica 2003 ; Artisjus Prize 2004.

Die Singphoniker

25 years ago, when five singers and a vocally talented pianist came together as an ensemble, they had one goal in mind: the voices, each with its own individual artistic qualities, should come together to form a unique Ensemble, balancing the soloist voices in unified effort and presenting a wide variety of repertoire at the highest level.

Through the quality of the voices alone, the Singphoniker are able to evoke moods and emotions like no other vocal group. With Gregorian Chorales they call up the mystery and spirituality of a medieval monastery. Madrigals of the Renaissance are transformed into living pictures of 16th century life. The internal emotional world of the Romantic era is brought to life through the songs of Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann. The cheeky frivolity of the "Golden 20's" comes to life in the hits of the Comedian Harmonists. And the unique Flower Power spirit of the 60's and 70's is reborn in the gentle songs of Simon & Garfunkel.

Don Cossack Choir

After World War, I the Cossacks who fought for Tsar Nicolaj II were sent to the Tschillinger Camp. There they lived a miserable life. Trying to forget all misery they sang the songs of their homeland at the campfire. A 25 year old lieutenant, Sergej Jarov, with a remarkable education in music, took the lead and so a community, which was destined to become one of the famous choirs in the world, was born. The maiden concert took place in Sofia (4th July 1923) and soon after that they gave a concert in Vienna. During the following years, the Don Cossacks went to many countries all over the world and they gathered great fame.

Just before Sergej Jarov died, in Lakewood, United States, this unique choir fell apart. Most members went their own musical way. So did Michael Minsky, one of the star-soloists with an impressive musical background of the original Don Cossacks Choir. He did his utmost to restart the Don Cossacks Choir with a number of very enthusiastic singers in the The Hague region. Immediately after the restart he became the conductor of the new Don Cossacks Choir in The Netherlands.

Dresden Boys' Choir

In the year 1234 the Austrian wife of Henry the Illustrious brought with her to Dresden a piece of the true cross as a gift, which was for the period immediately following kept in the Church of St. Nicholas. As an addition to this church, the oldest within the city walls, the "capella sanctae crucis" (chapel of the holy cross) was built, the first record of which dates from 1319, when it was mentioned as a place of pilgrimage. This chapel lent its name later in 1388 to the entire church "zum heiligen Kreuz." For some considerable time, ministers and choirboys performed the liturgy, and for the boys' instruction in Latin and music a boarding school was founded, first mentioned in 1300.

Dunedin Consort

Winners of the 2008 Midem Baroque Award and the 2007 Classic FM Gramophone Award for Best Baroque Vocal Album for their recording of Handel's Dublin Messiah (Linn CKD 285), Dunedin Consort & Players, under the combined Artistic Direction of John Butt, Susan Hamilton and Philip Hobbs, performs throughout Scotland and Europe

Under the musical direction of John Butt the group has consolidated its existing strength in the Baroque repertoire. Dunedin's commitment to excellence in both live performances and recordings, coupled with the latest research in historical performance, is complemented by its strong belief in supporting new music. As part of its contemporary strand, Dunedin has commissioned and performed works by living composers - including William Sweeney, Errollyn Wallen, Peter Nelson and Sally Beamish - to complement and enhance the meaning of the old masterpieces.

Dzintars: Latvian Women's Choir

Dzintars is the Latvian word for amber, the translucent fossilized pine pitch highly prized in Latvia. Commonly worn in necklaces, bracelets and rings, as a symbol of national identity it signifies beauty, openness, and freedom. The Dzintars choir, the leading female chorale of the region, was founded in 1947 and has evolved into an internationally acclaimed professional chorus. Their awards include Hungary's 1968 Gold Diploma in the Bartok Competition, and the Netherlands' Grand Prix in 1977. The present company includes 76 skilled professional singers, under the direction of Imants Cepitis and Ausma Derkevica.

During their 1989 U.S. tour, the Dzintars stopped at the state-of-the-art sound studios of George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in northern California to record this album with producers Mickey Hart and Jerry Garcia. Drawing upon a rich cross-section of their native Latvian repertoire, both traditional and "avant-garde," this is a pristine showcase of their remarkably pure voices and impeccable harmonies.

East Carolina University Chamber Singers

Because of the more demanding rehearsal and performance schedule, the 32-36 voice Chamber Singers invites only the most gifted and passionate choristers from ECU to be amongst its ranks. Designed to perform twentieth-century a cappella repertoire at a professional level, this ensemble also delves into the repertoire of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on a biannual basis in order to present baroque masterworks using historically informed performance practices in collaboration with ECU's Early Music Ensemble. The televised performances of G. F. Handel's complete Messiah performed on original instruments in the spring of 2003 attracted impressive audiences and earned rave reviews. The Chamber Singers, most of whom are voice majors from within the School of Music, tour annually and received a standing ovation for their performance at the 2002 NC-ACDA conference in Greensboro, NC. The Chamber Singers will combine with the University Chorale and the ECU Symphony Orchestra to perform at the 2003 Fall NCMEA Conference in Winston-Salem.

Elektra Women's Choir

With a mandate to inspire and lead in the choral art form through excellence in performance and through the creation, exploration and celebration of women's repertoire, Vancouver's renowned Elektra Women's Choir has taken a leadership role in the international classical women's choir movement.

The choir is known for its adventurous programming, seeking out music written specifically for women and frequently commissioning new works. Its appearances include performances at the distinguished National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (February 2003 and March 1997), including memorable New York performances at Carnegie Hall, Riverside Church, and Avery Fisher Hall. Elektra was honoured to represent Canada at the Fourth World Symposium on Choral Music in Sydney, Australia (August 1996).

Ellerhein Girl's Choir

Tallinn Children's Choir was founded in 1951 by Heino Kaljuste. In 1969 the choir was named Ellerhein. A year later, Tiia-Ester Loitme began working with the choir as an assistant conductor and since 1989 she has been the choir's chief conductor. The choir's current assistant conductor and music theory teacher is Ulle Sander, the accompanist is Katrin Kuldjarv and the vocal coach is Eha Parg. Ellerhein has received wide international acclaim for its beautiful sound and is the winner of many choir competitions. The choir has received the 1st prize in Celje (Slovenia, 1977), Powell River (Canada, 1988), Giessen (Germany, 1990 and 1997), Tolosa (Spain, 1990 and 1997), Nantes (France, 1993), Tallinn (Estonia, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008), Arezzo (Italy, 1994), Ankara (Turkey, 2005), Wuppertal (Germany, 2007), as well as the European Grand Prix in Tolosa (Spain, 1997), Takarazuka (Japan, 1995), Tolosa (Spain, 1997). In 2007 the choir won the Estonian Radio prize The Best Estonian Choir and in 2008 they won the Grand Prix at the international choir competition Kathaumixw in Canada. At the same competition they also received the 2nd prize in folk & cultural traditions category.

Elmer Iseler Singers

Based in Toronto, the Elmer Iseler Singers is considered to be Canada's foremost professional chamber choir with an enviable international reputation since its debut performance in 1979. Now conducted by Dr. Lydia Adams, the group was founded by and nurtured under the direction of the late Dr. Elmer Iseler, the "Dean of Canadian Choral Conductors."

The Elmer Iseler Singers organization is celebrating its 32nd season in 2010-2011. This 20-voice, fully professional choir has performed throughout Canada and the United States as well as internationally. With repertoire that spans 500 years of choral music, the Elmer Iseler Singers are known for their beauty of tone and wide interpretive range. The choir regularly commissions and performs new works, and is frequently involved in radio and television broadcasts and a variety of recording projects. The Elmer Iseler Singers have appeared at several national and international festivals, including the Canada in Holland Festival, the Joy of Singing International Choral Festival in Toronto, Festival 500 in Newfoundland, International Choral Kathaumixw in British Columbia, Colours of Music Fall Festival in Barrie, Chamberfest in Ottawa, the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis, the Toronto International Bach Festival. In March of 2007, the choir appeared at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Miami, USA representing Canada and 8 Canadian composers in 3 showcases for 5,000 international delegates.

Elora Festival Singers

The Elora Festival Singers (EFS), a professional chamber choir, was founded in 1980 by Noel Edison as the principal choral ensemble of the Elora Festival. In 1992, the Elora Festival Singers was incorporated as a separate organization to manage its year-round activities. Since 1997 the choir has been the professional core of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, and is the choral ensemble-in-residence of the Elora Festival for four weeks each summer. Through regular concert series, recordings, broadcasts, and touring, the Elora Festival Singers has established a reputation as one of the finest chamber choirs in Canada and beyond, contributing to the musical life, not only of the community, but on an international stage, with twelve releases on the Naxos label. The choir is renowned for its diverse styles, from early music to spirituals to contemporary, for its commitment to Canadian repertoire, and for its collaborations with other Canadian artists.

Elysian Singers

The Elysian Singers of London, under musical director Sam Laughton, is one of the UK's leading chamber choirs. Known for our adventurous programming and imaginative repertoire, we give concerts in and around London, and have recorded a number of enthusiastically received CDs.

We pride ourselves on reaching consistently high performance standards, and our entry requirements are rigorous, but we maintain a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and embrace singers from all backgrounds. This website is our main source of new members.

EMO Ensemble

Chamber Choir EMO Ensemble consists of young students of music and professional singers. It was founded at the Espoo Music Institute in autumn 2000. At three years of age, the choir won 1st prize in the first international Harald Andersen Chamber Choir Competition; the competition was open to both amateur and professional choirs. The choir's performance of Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jaderlund by Esa-Pekka Salonen also received a special prize for best performance of a contemporary work.

Particularly after the above-mentioned victory, EMO Ensemble has become known especially as a performer of contemporary music. The choir offers contemporary composers an instrument of a high standard. The music composed in the 21st century by the most important Finnish contemporary composers, e.g. Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lotta Wennakoski, can be heard on EMO Ensemble's first recording Maasta (Of the Earth). It was published in autumn 2005 by Alba Records. The Association of Finnish choir conductors chose the record as the choir record of the year 2005, and the critics of Helsingin Sanomat and Hufvudstadsbladet called it one of the best records of the year.

Ensemble Amarcord

Founded in 1992 by erstwhile members of St Thomas's Boys Choir in Leipzig, amarcord has since become one of the world's leading vocal ensembles. amarcord's hallmarks include a unique tone, breathtaking homogeneity, musical authenticity, and a good dose of charm and humour. amarcord performs a vast and highly diverse repertoire of music, from medieval plainsong to madrigals and Renaissance masses, to compositions and cycles of works of the European Romantic period and the 20th century, a cappella folksong arrangements collected from all over the world, all the way to rock, pop, soul and jazz charts.

Open to new currents in vocal music, the singers attach great importance to New Music. Works dedicated to the ensemble include those by Bernd Franke, Steffen Schleiermacher, Ivan Moody, James MacMillan, Sidney M. Boquiren, Siegfried Thiele and Dimitri Terzakis. Even though their concert programming is strongly focused on a cappella works, amarcord also regularly performs in concert with ensembles and artists such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Lautten Compagney, Cappella Sagittariana and the Leipzig String Quartet

Eric Ericson Chamber Choir

The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir (= EECC) was founded in 1945 by Eric Ericson. and has ever since held a central position in the Swedish and international music scene. The particular aim of the choir and its leader to contiually search out new music and new fields of work. has today resulted in a very wide repertoire, stretching from the renaissance to the latest avantgarde. The EECC, with its characteristic Nordic sound and wide ranging virtousity, has been an ideal ensemble for several generations of Swedish composers.

Internationally the EECC is in the absolute top league of professional choirs, receiving many international awards, including the Deutsche Schailplattenpreis and the Edison Prize. Several tours are made every year which have taken the choir throughout Europe, the USA and Canada. The EECC has made numerous recordings of the a cappe!!a repertoire and is to be found in the catalogues of many record companies.

Esoterics

The Esoterics is a Seattle-based vocal ensemble that is dedicated to performing and perpetuating contemporary a cappella choral settings of poetry, philosophy, and spiritual writings from around the world. While cultivating artistic expression and cultural understanding among its singers and audience alike, The Esoterics aspires to reflect the beauty, power, and significance that are inherent in the music of our time

Estonian National Male Choir

The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM) is currently the largest full-time professional male choir in the world. Founded in 1944 by the legendary composer and leader of the Estonian choral movement, Gustav Ernesaks, the choir has since been conducted by several highly esteemed Estonian choral conductors, including Olev Oja, Kuno Areng, Ants Uleoja, Ants Soots and 2005-2008 Kaspars Putninsh from Latvia.

In a cooperative project with Conductor Paavo Jarvi, The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), the Estonian girls Choir "Ellerhein", and The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM), won a Grammy Award in 2004 in the category of "Best Choral Performance" for their recording of Sibelius' Cantatas (Virgin Classics, 2003). A year later their recording of Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" (recorded by the same line-up) was voted the orchestral album of the year in BBC Music Magazine.

Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir

The Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir was founded in 1971 as the boys' choir of the State Academic Men's Choir. In 1997 the choir was adopted by the Estonian National Opera. For thirty years the choir was directed by its founder, Professor Venno Laul, until the appointment in 2001 of Hirvo Surva as Artistic Director and Main Conductor. The Boys' Choir functions as a choral studio with three different levels. The main concert choir is supported by two training choirs for the younger boys, so that altogether around 140 talented young singers study vocal music in the choir. The main concert choir works on the principal of a classical mixed choir (men's and boys' voices); boys whose voices have broken are encouraged to remain in the choir and carry on singing as tenors and basses. The activity of the choir, including concert tours, singing camps, competitions and other joint activities, has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Estonian National Opera, of the parents of the singers and of our sponsors.

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir has become the best-known Estonian classical music performer and one of the best choirs in the world. In 2001-2007 the choir's chief conductor and artistic director was Paul Hillier. The renown British musician has widened the choir's perspectives and continued their success both in the recording field and as a performing group at prominent concert venues and festivals. Since September 2008 the chief conductor and artistic director is Daniel Reuss.

EPCC was founded in 1981 by Tonu Kaljuste, who acted as artistic director and chief conductor for 20 years. It was first formed as an amateur chamber choir Ellerhein, founded by Tonu Kaljuste's father Heino Kaljuste (1925-1989) on the 15th anniversary of the children's choir Ellerhein in 1966. In 1971 Tonu Kaljuste became the conductor of the chamber choir Ellerhein, on the basis of which he formed the full-time professional EPCC.

Ex Cathedra

Ex Cathedra is a British choir and early music ensemble based in Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. It performs choral music spanning the 15th to 21st centuries, and regularly commissions new works.

Ex Cathedra was founded in Birmingham in 1969 by Jeffrey Skidmore, who is its artistic director and conductor. Originally conceived as a chamber choir, it now comprises a full choir of about 20 to 40 singers, the Ex Cathedra Consort made up of ten young professional singers who feature regularly as soloists, and a Baroque ensemble/orchestra.

Exon Singers

The Exon Singers is recognised as one of the UK's leading chamber choirs. Founded in 1966, it has become renowned for its dynamic and expressive performances of music from the Renaissance to the present day.

The Exon Singers can often be heard on BBC Radios 3 and 4 and on CD. In December 2009 the choir recorded a second disc with the Regent Records label, of previously unrecorded music of Philip Wilby, who was the Composer in Residence at the 2009 Festival. This CD is to be released in 2011 and follows on from the choir's first disc with Regent released in the summer of 2010, of previously unrecorded music by Philip Moore. Philip Moore was the choir's Festival Composer in Residence in 2008, having then recently retired as Organist and Master of the Music at York Minster. Previous recordings by the choir include critically acclaimed discs with the Delphian label, of music by Howard Skempton, Dr Francis Jackson, and in 2004 a first recording of a reconstruction of Vespers by Tomas Luis de Victoria.

First Call

The Christian a cappella group, First Call, have reinvigorated the familiar Christmas classics with fresh arrangements and sincere renditions of the old favorites. Appearances by guest vocalists and multi-tracking allow for a multiplicity of textures and sounds. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" will rekindle good will toward all in even the most cynical holiday Grinch. "The New Twelve Days of Christmas" replaces the partridge and pear tree with shopping malls and choir rehearsals, and segues brilliantly into "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." The shimmering, pure vocal tones are augmented by the crisp, digital production. This is an "Evening" you won't want to miss!

Flemish Radio Choir

In the world of choral music the increasingly higher standards reached in recent years by a number of chamber-sized choirs has been a hugely encouraging development. With every intention and capacity to join such an elite group is Glossa's recent signing, the Vlaams Radio Koor from Belgium - the Flemish Radio Choir. Its 24 professional singers are now under the baton of chief conductor Bo Holten. Other leading international conductors also appear at the helm of the Flemish Radio Choir: eminent guest conductors such as Kaspars Putninsh, Laszlo Heltay, Paul Hillier and Herve Niquet enjoy working with the choir.

The choir's beginnings reach back to the years 1936/7 when it was brought into being at the behest of the national Belgian Radio, with the task of cooperating in every broadcast of the radio requiring a choir. This remained under the direction of conductors such as Leonce Gras, Jan Van Bouwel and Vic Nees until the Radio Orchestra and the Radio Choir became independent and actually separated from the broadcasting company in 1996. Since that time the choir has been a concert ensemble rather than being based in the studio, touring extensively not just in Belgium but also in France, Spain and The Netherlands.

Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians

One of the enduring images of the 1920s is of the college boy in a raccoon coat, out for some jazz kicks with a hip flask and a flapper on his arm. Waring's Pennsylvanians popularized this type of image through their music, stage shows, and film appearances. The band was formed in 1918 at Pennsylvania State University by the brothers Fred and Tom Waring, and their friends Freddy Buck and Poley McClintock.

They first billed themselves as the Waring-McClintock Snap Orchestra and then became Waring's Banjo Orchestra before adopting the name of Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1922. In 1923 they had a big hit with the record Sleep and the song continued to be the band's theme song for many years to come.

Frommermann

Dutch vocal group FROMMERMANN is named after Harry Frommermann, founder of the Comedian Harmonists. This German ensemble, comprised of five singers and a pianist, was a huge sensation in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Frommermann made their debut in the 2005 Grachtenfestival in Amsterdam with the program 'Broken Silence', a musical tribute to the Comedian Harmonists. Although meant to be a singular collaboration, public and press were so enthusiastic about the group that more concerts quickly followed. In 2006 Frommermann received an invitation to perform at the annual Koninginnedagconcert ('Queen's Concert') at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague which was attended by HRH Queen Beatrix, the royal family and many esteemed guests. For this occasion, the Dutch public television program NPS created a 'making of' documentary which, together with the concert itself, was broadcast nationwide on Koninginnedag ('Queen's Day') 2006. In the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons Frommermann brought the 'Broken Silence' to many cities and theatres with a tour throughout the Netherlands.

Gents

Vocal ensemble The Gents is a company that is unique to the Netherlands in a short time has gained a prominent place in international music scene. De groep jonge zangers wordt alom geroemd vanwege de bijzondere klank, de grote mate van flexibiliteit en de weergaloze interpretatie van het zeer uiteenlopende vocale repertoire. The group of young singers has been widely praised for its special sound, the high degree of flexibility and unprecedented interpretation of the wide range of vocal repertoire.

De basis van The Gents werd gelegd binnen het Roder Jongenskoor. The basis of The Gents was laid inside the Roden Boys. Dirigent Peter Dijkstra bracht de groep in 1999 bij elkaar en was artistiek leider / dirigent tot 2007. Conductor Peter Dijkstra, the group released in 1999 and became artistic director / conductor until 2007. Sindsdien is hij nog betrokken als vaste gastdirigent. Since then, he was involved as permanent guest conductor.

Glasgow Phoenix Choir

p>Founded in 1951 (though able to trace its history via the iconic Glasgow Orpheus Choir to 1901) it continues to perform new arrangements (and old) of Scottish song for which it is widely known throughout the British Isles, Europe, and North America. (We even have our own tartan, pictured left!) However, this is only part of the Choir's extensive repertoire which extends from oratorio, opera, chamber music, and sacred music from all the major composers through choral songs and folk music of many cultures to music from the shows including many of the top musicals currently showing all over the world. Whilst this is not a religious/church choir and neither is it an orchestral/theatrical chorus, it has elements of all of these and more in its catalogue, has recorded over 30 albums and boasts a library that currently has over 1000 titles of all genres.

Gloriae Dei Cantores

Gloriae Dei Cantores (Singers to the Glory of God) holds a passionate dedication to illuminate truth and beauty through choral artistry, celebrating a rich tradition of sacred choral music from Gregorian chant through the twenty-first century. The choir has received extensive critical acclaim for its artistic elegance, performance authenticity, and compelling spirituality. Sharing its vision of inspiration and hope, Gloriae Dei Cantores has toured extensively, touching the hearts of audiences in 24 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Director Elizabeth Patterson has led the choir in a number of world premieres, and appeared on the concert stage and in recordings with Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Samuel Adler, Mark O'Conner, Stephen Cleobury, Vladimir Minin, and the late George Guest, Mary Berry, and Margaret Hillis, among others.

Gothic Voices

Like so many of the best things in life, the birth of Gothic Voices came about almost by accident. Back in 1980 Christopher Page was asked by the BBC to put together a programme of plainchant by the 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Record producer Ted Perry tuned in to that broadcast and it so impressed him that he set up what was to become one of the best-selling recordings of pre-classical music ever made: A Feather on the Breath of God - Hymns and Sequences by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Since that time, Gothic Voices has recorded a further twenty CDs on the Hyperion label, three of which have won the coveted Gramophone Magazine Award.

Grand Rapids Women's Chorus

The Grand Rapids Women's Chorus is dedicated to singing music that celebrates and honors the diversity of women's lives. Drawing on music from many cultures, the Chorus strives to educate and inspire its community to promote justice, peace, and equality.

GRWC is a diverse, volunteer group of 24-48 fun-loving women who are passionately devoted to musical excellence and using the power of music to delight, to uplift, and to advance the cause of social justice. The chorus is widely recognized for its electrifying performances, musical diversity, professional presentation, and success in promoting women's music. The chorus is valued for its connections to community groups and the opportunities it provides for women of varying skill levels to develop their musical capabilities . Two major concerts are presented annually in addition to appearances in a variety of community events and venues. Members of the chorus are inspired and energized by their collective musical experience and the camaraderie and supportive environment they create for each other.

Grex Vocalis

Grex Vocalis - ( The Singing Flock ) - was formed in 1971. The repertoire spans from renaissance to contemporary Norwegian music. The choir has been awarded the "Norwegian Grammy" for three of its 13 albums and won 1st prizes in national and international contests: Arezzo, Gorizia, Tolosa and Marktoberdorf. In 1999 Grex Vocalis was awarded "Il Gran Premio Citta di Arezzo" as the best choir in that years contest. Over the years Grex Vocalis has commissioned and premiered works by several Norwegian composers but also performed important baroque works like Handel: Messiah, Bach: Christmas Oratorio, Rameau: In convertendo, Quam dilecta, Charpentier: Te Deum, Lully: Te Deum, Delalande: Te Deum etc with orchestra and soloists. The first Norwegian recording of Handels Messiah was released in 1997 with Grex Vocalis and Oslo Baroque Orchestra.

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