Christmas in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»wont be quite the same this year. Diane Loomer, founder and artistic director of Chor Leoni mens choir, passed away Dec. 10. In 1992, Loomer founded the award-winning choir, which is recognized for its leadership, mentorship and inspiration to mens choirs across Canada and internationally. Chor Leoni performed with ensembles and orchestras at community events across the province while its Remembrance Day and Christmas concerts have become local traditions.
This fall, the choir announced the appointment of Erick Lichte as artistic director effective September 2013, at which point Loomer would step into her new role as the choirs conductor emerita.
According to a press release on Chor Leonis website: We take comfort in the knowledge that [Loomers] legacy is alive in the many works of Canadian composers and arrangers she championed, the artists and conductors she mentored, the singers she led in workshops, rehearsals, and performances around the world, and in the hearts of every past and present member of Chor Leoni. Our thoughts are with her husband Dick and her family at this sad time and we request that you respect the privacy of the family.
