Now in its 17th year, the Quintessential Vocal Ensemble (QVE) of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, combines an exceptional standard of performance and a love of the choral art as one of the most distinguished amateur choirs of young adults in Canada. QVE was formed in 1993 by alumni of the award-winning Holy Heart of Mary High School Chamber Choir and their conductor Susan Quinn, out of a desire that their musical experiences together might continue. As part of the thriving choral community in St. John’s, the choir now draws together over 30 members ranging in age from late teens to thirties, with diverse backgrounds in work and study, and a mixture of trained and untrained voices and many instrumentalists. QVE is known especially for its a cappella repertoire of many styles and periods.

QVE has twice been awarded 1st Prize for mixed choirs in the CBC National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs, in 2004 and 2008. The choir is also a three-time recipient of the City of Lincoln Trophy for adult choirs in the National Music Festival of Canada. In 2002, at the 56th Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, QVE became the first Canadian choir ever to take 1st Prize in the mixed choir category. In 2006, at the 52nd Cork International Choral Festival in Ireland, QVE was awarded 2nd Prize and was the only non-European invitee out of ten world choirs to compete. The choir also gave a concert and school workshop in Waterford, under the sponsorship of the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister); performed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin; and sang at a charity reception hosted by the Canadian Ambassador. In 2009 in France, QVE won the Renaissance category and the Prix du Ministère de la Culture at the 38th Florilège Vocal de Tours; sang at the Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel Memorials and La Madeleine Church in Paris; and presented a charity benefit concert for youth, sponsored by Rotary International, before a full house of six hundred citizens at St-Nicolas-en-Cité Church in Arras.

The choir’s performances have won accolades at the DeKalb International Choral Festival in Atlanta, Georgia; Podium ‘98, the national convention of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and at Festival 500: Sharing the Voices, Newfoundland and Labrador’s own acclaimed international choral exhibition, including a performance for Queen Elizabeth II in the 1997 opening ceremonies. QVE’s appearances in the national media have included its own Christmas special on CBC television, Newfoundland and Labrador’s 50th Anniversary of Confederation celebrations, and the Canada Winter Games. The choir has recorded three CDs: Ave Maris Stella, a treasury of motets and spirituals from the past 150 years, released in 2001 and nominated for Classical Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards; A Quintessential Christmas, released in 2003; and most recently, and if you close your eyes, in 2006.

QVE has worked with artists and organizations such as Canadian composers Stephen Hatfield and Donald Patriquin, Irish composer Michael McGlynn and Anúna, and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. The choir also remains committed to sharing its music with the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, with an emphasis on educational outreach and touring to smaller communities around the province.