St. Lawrence Choir

The St. Lawrence Choir was founded in 1972 by conductor Iwan Edwards, Member of the Order of Canada. In its early days, before moving to the heart of Montreal, the mixed-voice ensemble focused its activities in Lachine not far from the river that inspired its name.

The St. Lawrence Choir is a large, multigenerational and bilingual family, where founding members and young emerging artists rub shoulders contributing to the excellence of the ensemble through their respective experiences and strengths. For nearly 25 years the Choir performed regularly with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO) as the main component of the MSO choir, participating in numerous concerts and recordings, most notably at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. The choir is particularly proud to collaborate with many Quebec and Canadian composers, including Patrick Wedd, Gilles Tremblay, Alain Gagnon, Mark Sirett, Petros Shoujounian, and Larysa Kuzmenko.

Since 2014, the St. Lawrence Choir has been conducted by Philippe Bourque, a dynamic and charismatic leader. Since his arrival Maestro Bourque has been committed to diversifying the Choir’s activities and encouraging the next generation of choral music while pursuing the ensemble’s main mission: to promote oratorio and major choral works in the metropolitan area.

The "De clocher en clocher" concert series allows the Choir to meet the residents of Montreal’s diversified neighbourhoods. These concerts offer programs close to the communities as well as honouring the architectural, cultural, and religious heritage of Montreal. The first concert of this series took place at the magnificent Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Sainte Sophie in Rosemont. Upcoming concerts will take place at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense Church in Little Italy and at the Church of La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.

In the last two years the Choir has set up a mentorship program with its maestro offering training and support to emerging choral conductors. This program was largely made possible due to generous donations from former choristers who want to ensure the Choir’s contribution to a flourishing local music scene in the years to come.

The St. Lawrence Choir also maintains a fruitful relationship with several renowned ensembles with which it collaborates regularly including Les Boréades de Montréal, the Ottawa Choral Society, the Vanier College Choir, and the McGill University Concert Choir. In past seasons the St. Lawrence Choir has shared the stage with several celebrated soloists including Hélène Brunet, Marianne Fiset, Aline Kutan, Marianne Lambert, Benjamin Butterfield, Michael Colvin, John MacMaster, James Westman, and many others.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the St. Lawrence Choir will present a major concert at the Maison Symphonique located at the Place des Arts. This concert will be an opportunity for the Choir to introduce the St. Lawrence Choir Orchestra that will accompany them during the performance.