Chor Leoni is a low voice choir based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The group was founded as Chor Leoni Men's Choir in 1992 by Order of Canada recipient Diane Loomer, C.M. (1940 - 2012), and consists of up to 70 TTBB singers. In 2024, the choir announced their official name change, from Chor Leoni Men's Choir to Chor Leoni Choral Society. While primarily focused on performing classical choral repertoire, Chor Leoni (meaning "choir of lions") sings music of all genres and time periods, and in many different languages. In recent years, the group has commissioned original choral pieces from Ēriks Ešenvalds, Rodney Sharman and others. Since 2013, the group has hosted and participated in The Big Roar, a gathering of lower voice singers from Vancouver and around the world, featuring international choirs such as Chanticleer (ensemble) and Iceland’s Karlakórinn Heimir, as well as the organization's professional group, The Leonids, since 2022.
The American choral conductor Erick Lichte (pronounced "light") is the group's artistic director and conductor.
Achievements 1994 - Best Community Choir, CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 1994 - 1st Prize, Equal Voice (Male), CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 1996 - 2nd Prize, Equal Voice (Male), CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 1998 - 2nd Prize, Equal Voice (Male), CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 2002 - 1st Prize, Equal Voice (Male), CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 2002 - 1st Prize, Contemporary - CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 2002 - Best Performance of a Canadian Work - CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs 2003 - 4th Place, European Broadcasting Union's "Let the Peoples Sing" International Choral Competition 2004 - National Choral Award for Outstanding Choral Recording ("Yuletide Fires"), Association of Canadian Choral Conductors 2004 - Western Canadian Music Awards, Outstanding Classical Recording ("Yuletide Fires"), Western Canadian Music Alliance 2006 - 1st Prize, Equal Voice (Male), CBC/Radio-Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs
Notable performances and tours 1997 - Atlantic Provinces Tour"Canadian Safari." Chor Leoni Music. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chorleoni.org/recordings/canadian_safari?frm=3CDF9E61 >. 2000 - Association of Canadian Choral Conductors’ PODIUM 2000 2000 - International Society of Music Educators’ 2000 Convention 2002 - Regional conference of the American Choral Directors Association, Tacoma, WA"ACDA - American Choral Directors Association." ACDA - American Choral Directors Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://acda.org/page.asp?page=conferences>. 2002 - Canadian representative, AmericaFest World Festival of Singing for Boys and Men, Collegeville, MN 2002 - Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music, Minneapolis, MN 2007 - Central Canada Tour, performances and workshops in Montreal, Lachute, Quebec City, Ottawa, Kitchener 2007 - Stratford Summer Music Festival, Stratford, Ontario 2008 - Invited guest choir, NW Division Convention, American Choral Directors' Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2008 - Invited guest choir, Western Division Convention, American Choral Directors' Association, Anaheim, CA. 2008 - Host Choir, 2nd International Boys & Men’s Choral Festival, Hradec Králové/Prague, Czech Republic 2009 - Canadian representative and International Guest Choir, 50th National Convention, American Choral Directors' Association, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma"Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase." Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.jambase.com/Artists/70185/Chor-Leoni-Men's-Choir/Bio>.
Recordings Songs of War and Peace - Skylark Records Cat. No. 9501 L'Hymne au Printemps - Out of print. Canadian Safari - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. CCR0603"Canadian Safari." Chor Leoni Music. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chorleoni.org/recordings/canadian_safari?frm=3CDF9E61 >. Canadian Safari 2 - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. CCR0401"Canadian Safari." Chor Leoni Music. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chorleoni.org/recordings/canadian_safari?frm=3CDF9E61 >. Goin’ Home - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. 0701 Chor Leoni - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. CCR0604 Yuletide Fires - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. CCR0601"Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase." Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.jambase.com/Artists/70185/Chor-Leoni-Men's-Choir/Bio>. Carols & Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. 0703 Healing Voices - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. 0602"Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase." Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.jambase.com/Artists/70185/Chor-Leoni-Men's-Choir/Bio>. Circle of Compassion - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. 0702"Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase." Chor Leoni Men's Choir Bio, History, Info on JamBase. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.jambase.com/Artists/70185/Chor-Leoni-Men's-Choir/Bio>. Meetin' Here Tonight - Cypress Choral Recordings Cat. No. 0901
References
Bibliography Dykk, Lloyd. "A niche choir grows into a tradition," The Vancouver Sun, 5 Nov 2005 Duke, David Gordon. "Choir to perform Whitman set to music," The Vancouver Sun, 9 Nov 2006 Mazey, Steven. "Prize-winning Vancouver men's choir makes Ottawa debut," The Ottawa Citizen, 16 Aug 2007 Ariaratnam, Daniel. "Choir mixes Hockey Night into repertoire: Chor Leoni Men's Choir closes Stratford Summer Music Festival," The Record (Kitchener), 21 Aug 2007 Duke, David Gordon. " Young 'lions' add their voices to choir's tribute. . ." The Vancouver Sun, 8 Nov 2007
External links Chor Leoni Men's Choir