At Cantilon Choirs, we believe in the power of music and community to enrich and change lives. We are a family of choirs in Edmonton and St. Albert that offer young singers the highest-quality learning and performing experiences in the choral art. Our choristers thrive in an environment of fun and friendship as they strive for excellence and as they learn and grow as individuals and singers. Along the way, they experience joy, acceptance, pride in themselves, and appreciation and compassion for others.
For the 2021-2022 season, all choristers and staff born 2009 and earlier must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate in in-person singing activities. Singers born 2010 and later will continue to be masked for in-person activities, until such time vaccines are approved for this age range and given a reasonable time frame for parents to arrange for their child's vaccination. Online participation is available as an alternative participation method.
"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."
— John Ruskin
Our choirs encompass every age from 4 to adult. They are:
- KinderSingers (ages 4 to 6) - our non-auditioned starter choir designed to get young children excited about choral music
- Primary Choir (ages 6 to 9) - our non-auditioned choir created to nurture and develop the young voices of singers
- Children's Choir (ages 10 to 14) - requiring vocal assessment, this choir provided choristers with the highest quality music education and performance opportunities
- Chamber Choir (ages 12 to 19) - this auditioned mixed youth choir is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading children’s choral ensembles
- Belle Canto (adults) - an auditioned upper-voice choir for experienced singers
- Vox Hominis (adults) - an auditioned lower-voice choir for experienced singers
Our Founder and Artistic Director, Heather Johnson, believes that our understanding of the world of choral music is enhanced by exposure to choirs from other countries and competitive experiences that foster achievement at the highest level. Our tour highlights include:
- Béla Bartók International Choral Competition, Hungary 2018 (Hungary, Austria, Germany)
- International Eisteddfod, Llangollen, Wales 2016 (United Kingdom)
- Béla Bartók International Choral Competition, Hungary 2014 (Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary)
- Johannes Brahms International Choir Competition and Festival, Germany 2013 (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden)
- International Eisteddfod, Llangollen, Wales 2011 (United Kingdom)
- Seghizzi International Choral Competition, Italy 2010 (Italy, Slovenia)
- Cork International Choral Competition, Ireland 2007 (Ireland)
- Tolosa International Choral Competition, Spain 2007 (Spain)
- Béla Bartók International Choral Competition, Hungary 2006 (Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic)
We have learned that excellence is contagious and we see this in our graduates who have gone on to pursue excellence in all fields of academic study — music, science, engineering, education, medicine, nursing, law and linguistics, just to name a few.
