Over a 25-year history, the Exultate Chamber Singers have garnered praise from all quarters for sensitive, precise and seamless performances. The choir was established in 1981, when conductor John Tuttle brought together a group of graduating university students who wanted to continue performing choral music at a high standard. The choir is enriched not only by the excellent musicianship of its members but also by their varied academic and professional backgrounds. Together, they form a passionate, committed ensemble with a wide-ranging repertoire.

In April 2004, Exultate repeated its 2000 triumph at the CBC National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs, winning both First Prize in the Chamber Choir Category and the Healey Willan Grand Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. The choir also placed second in the finals of the 2002 CBC Competition.

As well as presenting its subscription series, Exultate makes regular guest appearances in various Ontario communities. In September 2005, the choir continued this tradition with a performance at the Colours of Music Festival in Barrie. In recent seasons, Exultate was heard in incidental music for the Shaw Festival’s 2000 production of The Apple Cart and appeared in Kingston as part of the Cantabile series. The choir has made frequent appearances at the Elora Festival and on Roy Thomson Hall’s Choir & Organ series. Exultate has also toured to Prince Edward Island, participating in three concerts at the Indian River Festival in the summer of 2003, at the invitation of artistic director/pianist Robert Kortgaard. All three performances were broadcast on CBC Radio Two’s “In Performance.” The choir’s third CD, The Present Time, was released in October 2001 to critical acclaim. A fourth CD, All Around the Circle: A Collection of Canadian Folk Songs, will be released in October 2005.

The Exultate Outreach Fund was established in 2002 to support initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of choral music in Canada. This season Exultate sponsored a workshop for young music students in association with the Colours of Music Festival. Four students were awarded scholarships in the amount of $500 to pursue private music instruction. Last season, the Outreach Fund sponsored the second Choral Composition Competition. The winning work, “Northern Lights,” by Judith Snowdon of New Brunswick, was premiered at Exultate’s March 2004 concert, The True North, which was recorded for broadcast on CBC’s “Choral Concert.”

Exultate is a member of Choirs Ontario and is grateful for the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and the Julie-Jiggs Foundation.