About the Choir

Chœur des enfants de Montréal performs a diverse and spirited repertoire encompassing music from the Renaissance to the present day. Their work focuses on classical music, but also includes folk, gospel and contemporary music. The choir celebrates the work of Canadian composers and the rich musical traditions of Québec.

Choir Handbook

The diversity of the music reflects the multi-cultural nature of Canada and Montréal. Unlike any other youth choir in Montréal, the choir repertoire includes children's operas, commissioned musical theatre compositions and cantatas. The children learn to sing in many languages. Over the years, the choir has performed songs in French, English, Welsh, Gaelic, German, Latin, Serbian, Maori, Hebrew and Spanish.

The choir was created in 2001 by a group of parents whose children had sung with Iwan Edwards in the F.A.C.E. Treble Choir and who wanted to make this outstanding musical education available to all children in Montréal.  The choristers come from more than 30 different primary and secondary schools and various cultural and economic backgrounds, united by their passion for singing. The group has become a high quality children's choir which has received increasing attention and positive revues for its performances, including with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

The CEM has now 4 choirs under its umbrella:

- Training Choir (5-7 years) - Often their first introduction to singing,  children will learn to keep a steady beat, to match pitchs correctly, to use basic musical vocabulary and to develop a love of singing in a group setting.

-Junior Choir (7-10 years) -  These children (who know how to read) will develop musical literacy, vocal technique, choral behaviour and will sing in a variety of languages.

- Senior Choir (10-18 years) – Advanced musical literacy, vocal technique, performance practices, songs in 2, 3 and 4-part harmony, presents 4 – 6 concerts per year, including performance with other musical ensembles (OSM, etc.)

- Chamber Choir (Senior Choir girls & boys whose voices have changed) - small-ensemble singing with older choristers, good level of music reading ability and innate or learnt choral skills.