Laudate means praise, and for Laudate Singers, every concert is a joyful celebration. Founded in 1995 by current artistic director Lars Kaario, this professional chamber choir skillfully and passionately presents repertoire that spans centuries, cultures and genres. Whether it’s medieval, Baroque, Renaissance, classical, Romantic or contemporary…great choral works of the Western canon or music from the Celtic, South African, Latin American, Chinese, Finnish, Quebecois, or Coast Salish traditions (to name only a few)… Laudate Singers combine technical artistry with the ability to make all kinds of choral music accessible, and the final result is always luminous and transcendent.
Laudate Singers are committed champions of Canadian choral music; the choir has maintained a composer-in-residence program since 1995, and commissions and performs new Canadian works every season. Audiences at Laudate Singers’ concerts are almost always guaranteed the thrill of knowing that some of the music they are listening to has never been heard in public before! The choir has recorded four critically-acclaimed CDs: A Baroque Christmas, Christmas Journey, Songs of Heaven and Earth, and Celtic Journey.
Laudate Singers
Laudate Singers firmly believe that music cannot happen in a vacuum; community outreach is a pillar of the choir’s mandate. Laudate Singers have given workshops for young choirs and educational concerts for school children. Travelling farther afield, the choir was honoured to represent North Vancouver at the Chiba (Japan) Cultural Festival in October 2009. Laudate Singers were also featured in the VSO’s gala tribute to his Holiness the Dalai Lama in April 2004, and were invited to be choir-in-residence at the International Choral Kathaumixw in 1996. The choir has given concerts throughout central BC, and has performed at West Vancouver’s Harmony Arts Festival, WinterSong and MusicFest Vancouver. Laudate Singers have also undertaken stimulating, innovative partnerships with such ensembles as the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, La Cetra, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, CBC Vancouver Orchestra.