Grex Vocalis

Grex Vocalis (The Singing Band) is a Norwegian chamber choir, formed in 1971 by Carl Høgset, who remains its conductor. The repertoire spans from the renaissance to music by contemporary composers. The choir has been awarded the Norwegian Spellemannprisen prize (the Norwegian equivalent to a Grammy Award) for three of its thirteen albums (in 1977, 1983, and 2006) and has won first prizes in national and international contests (Arezzo, Gorizia, Tolosa and the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf). In 1999 Grex Vocalis was awarded Il Gran Premio Città di Arezzo as the overall best choir in that year's contest. Grex Vocalis is primarily an a cappella choir, comprising ca. 35 singers, but performs on occasion also with soloists and orchestras. They have toured extensively in Europe, and also given a series of concerts in Japan and Cuba.

Over the years Grex Vocalis has commissioned and premiered works by several Norwegian composers, including Knut Nystedt, Trond Kverno and Arne Nordheim. In 1994 the choir took part in the stage production of Arne Nordheim's monumental Draumkvedet, which with the Norwegian Broadcasting Radio Orchestra and soloists was performed 40 times. They have also performed important baroque works like Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, Handel's Messiah, Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Rameau's In convertendo and Quam dilecta, Charpentier's Te Deum, Lully's Te Deum, Delalande's Te Deum, etc., with orchestras and soloists. Collaboration projects with Oslo Cathedral Choir and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra have led to performances of larger works like Brahms's Requiem, Penderecki's St. Luke Passion and Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri.

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