The Vancouver Oratorio Society (VOS) is a musical non-profit organization. Under its umbrella is the VOS Chorus, VOS Chamber Singers and VOS Chamber Orchestra.
The Vancouver Oratorio Society is a group of talented Christian singers and musicians. They perform sacred music at venues and events in the Lower Mainland.
The choir’s big Christmas concert last year took place on December 1st. Admission is free. See the Vancouver Oratorio Society website for details about it and the choir in general.
Vancouver Oratorio Choir
A group of vocalists founded the Vancouver Oratorio Society in 1991 to perform classical religious music. The choir consists of more than 90 members from over 50 different churches in the Metro Vancouver region. Everyone involved passed an audition.
Conductors include Kemuel Wong, Cecilia Chueh and Neville To. Together, their mission is to present the Gospel of Christianity by praising and glorifying God through their music.
The non-profit organization hosts two big concerts most years. They also perform at a variety of other events, sometimes collaborating with other individuals and groups.
Concerts
The Oratorio Society usually puts on one concert in the spring or early summer and another during the Christmas season, along with a couple more small performances in between. Below, we list the details of the choir’s concerts from last year. The organizers will confirm the exact details of the concerts planned for 2025.
Sanctuary Spring Concert (June 9th, 2024)
The Vancouver Oratorio Society’s spring/early summer concert took place on Sunday, June 9th, 2024. It was at the Evangelical Chinese Bible Church at 5110 Marine Drive in Burnaby. The concert began at 7:30 pm.
The event featured a performance of Sanctuary – A Cantata of Hope and Peace by Joseph Martin. Members of the Vancouver Oratorio Society sang sacred pieces with live music played by the VOS Chamber Orchestra and pianist Susan Chan. Kemuel Wong and Nevil To conducted the concert, which attendees could enjoy for free, with any and all donations appreciated.
Visit vancouveroratorio.org for the choir’s official website.
Christmas Concert (December 1st, 2024)
The choir’s Winter Concert took place on Sunday, December 1st last year. It happened at the Evangelical Chinese Bible Church in Burnaby. Like the spring concert, it begat at 7:30 pm and was free to attend.
The headlining piece in this concert was “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi. VOS members picked out a number of other Christmas choral songs, some of which they sang in English and others in Chinese. Kemuel Wong and Nevil To once again conducted the concert, which also featured guest vocalists Lydia Choi and Alyssa Nicole Samson.
Other Concerts
Some years there has been a second mini-concert in December. In 2023 it was at the Finnish Bethel Church, located at 1920 Argyle Drive in Vancouver. It didn’t appear to happen in 2024.
The choir also sometimes performs a spring show at the same church location. Last year the show was on April 6th and also featured another performance of Joseph Martin’s Sanctuary. 2025 details are to be confirmed.
Other Information
Visit the Vancouver Oratorio website for more information about the choir.
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