VOX LUMINOSA

Founded in 2004 by its current musical director Claudel Callender, the Vox Luminosa Vocal Ensemble has performed the great works of the sacred music repertoire including the Requiems of Fauré, Duruflé and Mozart, the Glorias of Vivaldi and Rutter, Mozart's Coronation Mass, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Handel's Messiah with the Sinfonia Lanaudière, etc. The ensemble has collaborated with seasoned artists from the Quebec music scene including Natalie Choquette, Robert Marien, Alain Dumas, etc.

The Vox Luminosa Ensemble has participated in several television recordings broadcast by the SRC, including the Messe du Pardon composed by its conductor, Claudel Callender, a work that was the subject of a disc on the XXI Productions label in 2008. The Ensemble also participated in a "midnight mass" broadcast on "Eurovision" in 2011, and a special program entitled "Des Voix pour la paix" broadcast in January 2011 and 2012 by the SRC.

In addition, the Ensemble has participated in several "creations" and "Quebec premieres", including the "cantata Marie Mère de la vie" by Belgian composer Philippe Robert, "Angel Whisper" and "The pure One" by Rosemary Duxbury, the "Trois Scènes Historiques" by composer Werner Anton Jaegerhüber, as well as the Montreal and Lanaudière premieres of the "Grand-Messe" by Gilles Vigneault and Bruno Fecteau.

In July 2018, the Ensemble performed in front of a crowd of 10,000 people at Parc Lebel in Repentigny as part of the Ville de Repentigny summer concert in a program of excerpts from well-known musicals, in addition to being invited to the Festival d'été de l'Assomption at the Sanctuaire du Cap-de-la-Madeleine. In December of the same year, the Ensemble gave Christmas concerts in Ottawa and Repentigny. It celebrated its 15th anniversary in April 2019.

Created in 2007, the Art and Spirituality Series became the “Vox Luminosa Series” in April 2013 to better reflect the importance of the organization's mission focused on high-level choral singing and its connection with the Vox Luminosa vocal ensemble.

Its initial aim was to broadcast artistic events of a spiritual nature addressing universal themes such as mourning, suffering, family and the environment, through music and sacred song from all eras.

From the outset, the Series has had the privilege of being able to count on an exceptional location to present its activities. Official host of the Series, the Purification BVM parish has hosted over thirty events in its magnificent heritage church with incomparable acoustics for ten years now.

It should be noted that the Series has a mandate to shine at the regional level in order to ensure a wide distribution of the works presented. These unique events are aimed at all those who wish to commune with beauty and the sacred through timeless works of art and music.

This great adventure was originally based on a team composed of Claudel Callender, artistic director of the project and organist at the Purification parish, choirmaster, singer, author and composer, as well as Ms. Carole Cartier, communicator and project manager at the Mathieu Lafond Foundation and Mr. Christian Lépine, priest of the Purification parish. It can now count on a board of directors of eight competent and dedicated people.

It should be noted that all the events in the Series were presented thanks to the unwavering support of the Purification BV M parish and public and private partners including the City of Repentigny, Art, Culture et Société, the provincial and federal members of parliament for the riding, as well as various religious communities including the Franciscans of Eastern Canada, the Hospitaller Sisters of St. Joseph, the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Anne, the SNJM sisters, the monks of the Val Notre-Dame Abbey, etc. The series was officially incorporated on August 3, 2010.

If you would like to learn more or plan a Vox Luminosa show, please contact us.