ORIANA Women's Choir

THE CHOIR

ORIANA Women’s Choir was formed in 1972 as The John Hodgins Singers, later the ORIANA Singers. ORIANA’s vision, as the members strive together for ever-higher levels of performance excellence and versatility, is to be the best women’s choir in the world. ORIANA aims to achieve this vision by:

choosing music perfectly suited to the female voice,
presenting well-loved established repertoire, and
commissioning and giving voice to new Canadian works.

ORIANA Women’s Choir presents a subscription series of three concerts annually, generally at Grace Church on-the-Hill. The Choir has collaborated with a range of other artists, including student poets of the Toronto District School Board, Canada’s National Ballet School, and numerous other choirs. In addition to its subscription series, ORIANA performs at diverse events and venues around Ontario. In 2007, the choir made its debut at Roy Thomson Hall performing at the Lunch Hour Choir and Organ Concert Series. In 2005 ORIANA travelled to St. John’s, Newfoundland, to participate in FESTIVAL 500 – Sharing the Voices. ORIANA Women’s Choir regularly reaches the national semi-final and final rounds of the CBC National Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs.

In the past twelve years, ORIANA has commissioned almost fifty new Canadian works. These include Eleanor Daley’s Rose Trilogy (awarded “Outstanding Choral Work” of 2004 by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors), William Brown’s Quant j’ai ouy le tabourin (winning “Best Performance of a Canadian Work” in the 2004 CBC National Choral Competition), and pieces commissioned for our Children's Voices project (awarded ACCC's "Outstanding Choral Event 2006-2008").

ORIANA Women’s Choir has released five CDs:

When Music Sounds – an international celebration of the strength of the human spirit.
Child with the Starry Crayon – a collection of commissioned Canadian works based on children’s poetry.
Comfort and Joy – music to celebrate Christmas.
Cinnamon and Cedar - a selection of secular Christmas music.
Be Thou My Vision - a collection of hymns and songs of faith.

Our fifth CD, Be Thou My Vision, a collection of hymns and songs of faith featuring six new arrangements by some of Canada's most renowned composers commissioned by ORIANA was released in November 2008 to great acclaim and is on sale now!

The Choir is also featured on promotional CDs for Hinshaw Music, earthsongs Publishing, and E.C. Schirmer, all of the United States.