Founded by John Hodgins as The Bishop Strachan School Alumnae Choir, then later reorganized as The John Hodgins Singers the following season

Image courtesy of The Bishop Strachan School Museum & Archives

Incorporated as an Ontario not-for-profit corporation and renamed Oriana Singers under Artistic Director, John Ford

Premiered Milton Barnes’ Madrigals in Toronto at Walter Hall with Milton Barnes conducting the piece

Oriana wins first prize in International Radio Festival Competition “Let the People Sing," a choir contest run by BBC Radio from the 1950s to 1980s

Oriana wins first prize in Adult Equal Voice - Women’s Voices category, CBC National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs

Oriana selected to perform at the Joy of Singing - International Choral Festival, performing at the Great Hall, Hart House

Oriana selected once again to perform at the International Choral Festival

William Brown appointed Artistic Director

Oriana participates in the International Festival of Women in Song at the University of Toronto

First CD album released

Ruth Watson Henderson, Canadian composer becomes Honorary Patron. Ruth was the choir's collaborative pianist for many years and Oriana has held multiple special concerts honoring her patronage and outstanding choral legacy. To this day, the choir programmes at least one piece by Ruth at every concert.

The Oriana Singers become Oriana Women’s Choir

Oriana wins Best Performance of a Canadian Work in the 15th CBC National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs

Oriana serves as demonstration choir for master conductor workshops at Festival 500 in St. John’s, Newfoundland

Photos and images courtesy of Dianne Ball

Oriana’s concert presentation Children’s Voices, Too! awarded Outstanding Choral Event by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors (now Choral Canada)

Mitchell Pady appointed Artistic Director

Chorister Sara Lou Henderson becomes honorary lifetime member

Performance with Canadian folk group The O’Pears

Oriana joins women of Amadeus Choir and Elmer Isler Singers in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 in D minor

Performance with Juno-nominated world music ensemble, Autorickshaw

Chorister Mary Lee becomes honorary lifetime member

Photo by Matt Bishop

Oriana performs Canadian premiere of Veljo Tormis’ Looduspildid (“Nature Pictures”). Read the concert review here in Eesti Elu.

Oriana attends Podium on the Edge in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada's national bilingual choral conference and festival and makes concert appearances in Cupids and English Harbour

Oriana and Adlesia perform a joint concert program in Montreal and Toronto

Oriana performs Canadian premiere of choral version of “love fail” by David Lang

Oriana, Double Treble and Vox Femina perform a joint concert program in Toronto and Elmvale, ON

Oriana choristers meet weekly online for “how to choir” sessions - working together on music theory, sightsinging, and exploring musicianship

Choristers Julia Lee and Julia Topping become honorary lifetime members

Oriana performs showcase at Earl Haig Secondary School of student compositions written for the choir, by music students in the Claude Watson Arts Program

Oriana commissions jointly with Aeolian Singers (Halifax, NS), Ariose (Edmonton, AB), Elektra (Vancouver, BC), Lady Cove (St John’s, NL), and Nove Voce (Prince George, BC) an 8-movement work “The Secret Wisdom of Flowers” by Canadian composer Laura Hawley.