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About Us
Gracenote Vancouver was founded in 2015 by Malaika Horswill, Laura Metcalfe, and Gillian Lippert, three friends who had grown up together performing in choirs, piano recitals, and musical theatre productions. When they found themselves reunited in Vancouver, all pining for that musical community, Gracenote was born. Rehearsals began with 10 singers gathered in an East Vancouver living room, and 10 pairs of Blundstones lined up at the door.
In 2018 the trio added a mixed voice choir, Kôr, to the family. Kôr and Gracenote both rehearse weekly, perform many times per season in Vancouver, and love to travel for shows and festivals further away.
Malaika Horswill led Gracenote and Kôr as Musical Director from 2015 to 2021 when she relocated to Nelson, BC, to take on the Musical Director role for Corazon Vocal Ensemble. Though she is no longer part of the leadership team, she laid a foundation of choral excellence and community upon which Gracenote Vancouver continues to grow.
In 2021 Gracenote Vancouver welcomed Laura Metcalfe into the role of Musical Director, and long time Gracenote singer, Danica Kell, into the role of Assistant Musical Director.
Gracenote Vancouver seeks to create a welcoming and connected collective of singers. The organization was formed out of a sense of loneliness and the desire for community in the big city, and they continue to strive for a deep sense of care, openness, and friendship among choir members.
Our mission is...
to band together as a supportive and gratifying collective, to cultivate our choirs and grow together in the pursuit of artistic exploration and innovation, and to make beautiful music.
KÔR
Kôr is an auditioned a cappella mixed voice choir. Founded in 2018, this 45 person ensemble was dreamed up by the Gracenote organizational team when they were overrun with audition requests! Highlights from past seasons include performances in the Out for Lunch Concert Series at the Vancouver Art Gallery, touring interior BC, and collaborating with singer-song writer Laura Reznek on her beautiful tune After, Before, filmed at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver, BC.
GRACENOTE
Gracenote is an auditioned a cappella treble choir. Founded in 2015, Gracenote's first performance took place in a Vancouver yoga studio where the 35 audience members took off their shoes and sat on the floor. Since then, Gracenote has evolved into the current ensemble of 20 alto and soprano voices. Highlights from past seasons include a showcase concert at the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival, performances at several Sofar Vancouver events, and a music video feature with Hey Ocean's Ashleigh Ball.
Artistic Team
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Laura Metcalfe
Musical Director
Alto/Tenor
High School Teacher
Part-time Poet
Captain of Community
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Danica Kell
Assistant Musical Director
Soprano
Research Grant Facilitator
Arranger Extraordinaire
Choir Nerd to the core
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Gillian Lippert
Artistic Director
Soprano
Mother
Silversmith
Social Media Leader
A note about our community...
Gracenote Vancouver acknowledges that we live, work, rehearse and perform on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Gracenote Vancouver values and celebrates the diverse identities of all our singers. We are committed to fostering and maintaining a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We welcome the unique contributions that all singers bring in terms of their culture, race, religion, age, gender identity, sexuality, ability, nationality and language.
We perform at accessible venues and provide gender neutral washrooms. We are always open to hearing about your experiences at our shows and how we can create more inclusive spaces for all and be better members of our community.