Le Petit Ensemble vocal

Le Petit Ensemble vocal

Le Petit Ensemble vocal. Vocal quartet founded in 1956 and directed by George Little with members of his Montreal Bach Choir to present vocal chamber music from the Middle Ages to our time. The original quartet - the soprano Claire Grenon-Masella, the alto Marcelle Dumontet, the tenor Paul-Émile Smith, and the bass Claude Létourneau - was increased later to a sextet, the sopranos Margo MacKinnon and Renée Beaumier, the tenor René Lacourse, the bass Roland Gosselin, and others joining the ensemble as additions or replacements. The group offered CBC series built around various nations and subjects and performed throughout Canada in public concerts and festivals. Several programs were presented jointly with the Montreal Consort of Ancient Instruments and with the Montreal Bach Choir. During Expo 67 the ensemble performed polyphonic music by early composers and partsongs by Canadians including François Brassard, Robert Fleming, Kelsey Jones, and Barbara Pentland. Its last public concert took place 19 Jun 1971 during the CBC Toronto Festival.