A project of Choral Canada in collaboration with
With additional support from
Update on 2021 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Choral Canada Board of Directors and staff are reevaluating the possibility of this competition for 2021. Choral Canada appreciates your patience as we plan the future of our programs and services during this difficult time. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Winners of the 2019 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs!
Thank you to all who entered the competition and congratulations to all the winners! The winner of the Canada Council for the Arts Healey-Willan Prize is Vancouver Cantata Singers, directed by Paula Kremer from Vancouver, BC!
Category 1 - Children's Choirs
First Prize - Bach Children's Chorus (Toronto, ON)
Category 2 - Upper-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Raise Her Voice Chamber Choir (Oakville, ON)
Second Prize - Cantilon Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Category 3 - Lower-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Amabile Young Men's Ensemble (London, ON)
Category 4 - Mixed-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Second Prize - Amabile Chamber Choir (London, ON)
Category 5 - Collegiate Choirs
Frist Prize - Schulich Singers - McGill University (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Gryphon Singers - University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Category 6 - Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs
First Prize - Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Second Prize - Capital Chamber Choir (Ottawa, ON)
Category 7 - Mixed-Voice Adult Chamber Choirs
First Prize - Exultate Chamber Singers (Toronto, ON)
Second Prize - Prairie Chamber Choir (Regina, SK)
Category 8 - Equal-Voice Men's Choirs
First Prize - Ensemble Phœbus (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Newman Sound Men's Choir (St. John's, NL)
Category 9 - Equal-Voice Women's Choirs
First Prize - Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Ensemble Gaïa (Montréal, QC)
Category 10 - Pan-Cultural / Traditional Folk Music
First Prize - Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Second Prize - Chœur Baobab (Montréal, QC)
Category 11 - Contemporary Music
First Prize - Eastern Horizon Chamber Choir (Halifax, NS)
Second Prize - Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Best Performance of a Canadian Work
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, QC)
for their performance of Axis Mundi by Craig Galbraith
Best Performance of a French Canadian Work - Centre d'excellence artistique de l'Ontario Prize
Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
for their performance of Terre-Neuve by Marie-Claire Saindon
Healey-Willan Grand Prize
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
First Prize - Bach Children's Chorus (Toronto, ON)
Category 2 - Upper-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Raise Her Voice Chamber Choir (Oakville, ON)
Second Prize - Cantilon Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Category 3 - Lower-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Amabile Young Men's Ensemble (London, ON)
Category 4 - Mixed-Voice Youth Choirs
First Prize - Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Second Prize - Amabile Chamber Choir (London, ON)
Category 5 - Collegiate Choirs
Frist Prize - Schulich Singers - McGill University (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Gryphon Singers - University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Category 6 - Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs
First Prize - Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Second Prize - Capital Chamber Choir (Ottawa, ON)
Category 7 - Mixed-Voice Adult Chamber Choirs
First Prize - Exultate Chamber Singers (Toronto, ON)
Second Prize - Prairie Chamber Choir (Regina, SK)
Category 8 - Equal-Voice Men's Choirs
First Prize - Ensemble Phœbus (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Newman Sound Men's Choir (St. John's, NL)
Category 9 - Equal-Voice Women's Choirs
First Prize - Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
Second Prize - Ensemble Gaïa (Montréal, QC)
Category 10 - Pan-Cultural / Traditional Folk Music
First Prize - Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Second Prize - Chœur Baobab (Montréal, QC)
Category 11 - Contemporary Music
First Prize - Eastern Horizon Chamber Choir (Halifax, NS)
Second Prize - Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Best Performance of a Canadian Work
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, QC)
for their performance of Axis Mundi by Craig Galbraith
Best Performance of a French Canadian Work - Centre d'excellence artistique de l'Ontario Prize
Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
for their performance of Terre-Neuve by Marie-Claire Saindon
Healey-Willan Grand Prize
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Announcing our 2019 Finalists!
Thank you to all choirs who entered the competition! A jury of esteemed Canadian choral conductors (names will be posted on the Choral Canada website at the end of June) recently met to review the Competition entries and select finalists among a highly competitive pool of applicants.
Listen to the National Finalists
Click on the choir's name to go to their SoundCloud page and listen to their competition recordings.
Category 1 - Children's Choirs
Bach Children's Chorus (Toronto, ON)
Category 2 - Upper-Voice Youth Choirs
Cantemus (Winnipeg, MB)
Cantilon Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Raise Her Voice Chamber Choir (Oakville, ON)
Category 3 - Lower-Voice Youth Choirs
Amabile Young Men's Ensemble (London, ON)
Category 4 - Mixed-Voice Youth Choirs
Amabile Chamber Choir (London, ON)
Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Quintessential Vocal Ensemble - Aquae (St. John's, NL)
Category 5 - Collegiate Choirs
Gryphon Singers - University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Schulich Singers - McGill University (Montréal, QC)
Western University Singers - Western University (London, ON)
Category 6 - Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs
Capital Chamber Choir (Ottawa, ON)
Chœur du Plateau (Montréal, QC)
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Category 7 - Mixed-Voice Adult Chamber Choirs
Ensemble vocal Sainte-Anne Singers (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC)
Exultate Chamber Singers (Toronto, ON)
Prairie Chamber Choir (Regina, SK)
Category 8 - Equal-Voice Men's Choirs
Ensemble Phœbus (Montréal, QC)
Newman Sound Men's Choir (St. John's, NL)
Category 9 - Equal-Voice Women's Choirs
Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
Ensemble Gaïa (Montréal, QC)
Ventus Women's Choir (Lethbridge, AB)
Category 10 - Pan-Cultural / Traditional Folk Music
Chœur Baobab (Montréal, QC)
Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Category 11 - Contemporary Music
Eastern Horizon Chamber Choir (Halifax, NS)
Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Bach Children's Chorus (Toronto, ON)
Category 2 - Upper-Voice Youth Choirs
Cantemus (Winnipeg, MB)
Cantilon Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Raise Her Voice Chamber Choir (Oakville, ON)
Category 3 - Lower-Voice Youth Choirs
Amabile Young Men's Ensemble (London, ON)
Category 4 - Mixed-Voice Youth Choirs
Amabile Chamber Choir (London, ON)
Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Quintessential Vocal Ensemble - Aquae (St. John's, NL)
Category 5 - Collegiate Choirs
Gryphon Singers - University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Schulich Singers - McGill University (Montréal, QC)
Western University Singers - Western University (London, ON)
Category 6 - Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs
Capital Chamber Choir (Ottawa, ON)
Chœur du Plateau (Montréal, QC)
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
Category 7 - Mixed-Voice Adult Chamber Choirs
Ensemble vocal Sainte-Anne Singers (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC)
Exultate Chamber Singers (Toronto, ON)
Prairie Chamber Choir (Regina, SK)
Category 8 - Equal-Voice Men's Choirs
Ensemble Phœbus (Montréal, QC)
Newman Sound Men's Choir (St. John's, NL)
Category 9 - Equal-Voice Women's Choirs
Chœur Adleisia (Montréal, QC)
Ensemble Gaïa (Montréal, QC)
Ventus Women's Choir (Lethbridge, AB)
Category 10 - Pan-Cultural / Traditional Folk Music
Chœur Baobab (Montréal, QC)
Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Category 11 - Contemporary Music
Eastern Horizon Chamber Choir (Halifax, NS)
Edmonton Youth Choir (Edmonton, AB)
Vancouver Cantata Singers (Vancouver, BC)
About the National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs
A treasured Canadian choral tradition, the National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs inspires choirs to strive for excellence, provides visibility for amateur choirs of all ages, and encourages the creation and performance of Canadian works. The Competition is open to all Canadian amateur choirs and attracts diverse participants from coast to coast. The finalists and winners are selected by a national jury of esteemed Canadian choral conductors. The prestigious Canada Council for the Arts Healey Willan Grand Prize is awarded to the finest overall performance in musicianship, technique, and program. Each choir that enters the Competition must perform an original Canadian piece and prizes are given for the Best Performance of a Canadian Work and the Best Performance of a French Canadian Work. Cash prizes are awarded for the top performances in each category. The national jury may also award special accolades to outstanding choirs.
For additional information or if you have any questions, please email us at programs@choralcanada.org