Music Director, Olivier Larue

Olivier Larue studied instrumental and electroacoustic composition at the University of Montreal, where he worked with the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and Lorraine Vaillancourt. As a Domaine Forget scholarship recipient, he completed new music internships and master classes led by R. Murray-Schafer, Irvine Arditti, Luca Francesconi, and Magnus Lindberg. While playing piano at the contemporary music workshop, he also took up the harpsichord and studied the baroque organ with the late Réjean Poirier. Devoted heart and soul to creative music, he learned orchestral conducting and founded an ensemble dedicated to mixed music, then participated in the Symphonie du Millénaire as conductor.

His catalog includes works for symphony orchestra and string orchestra, chamber music, soundtracks for Quebec short films, music for theater, a work for prepared piano in the style of John Cage, and custom creations for the organs of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church and Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, printed by the Canadian Music Centre in Quebec. His collaborations include the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, the Orchestre de la Francophonie and Jean-Philippe Tremblay, the OSM with “Gainsbourg symphonique” and Jane Birkin. His music has been performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de l’Estuaire and Dina Gilbert, by I Musici de Montréal, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, at the Festival d’Été de Québec, in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, at City University New York, at the Chapelle historique du bon-pasteur… He is also credited with an arrangement for chamber ensemble of Richard Strauss’s last four Lieder.

– November 2025

Village Ringers

The St. Lambert United Church bell choir, known as the Village Ringers, is made up of people both from the congregation and from the larger community who have an interest in bell ringing. They ring four octaves of handbells and three octaves of hand chimes.

Their director, Jérôme Savoie, is an enthusiastic music teacher, skilled in playing a variety of instruments. Under his expert guidance, the Village Ringers have performed with the Choeur Pratt & Whitney Canada and the Montreal Welsh Male Choir.

The choir practices on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

W.o.W!

In March 2012, W.o.W! (Words of Worship) was formed to offer alternative forms of music for the congregation. The selections they play range from mild rock to blue grass, and from country to old, beloved hymns. The band have performed approximately a dozen original pieces of music as well.

The band join in worship about once a month. W.o.W! have also taken part in worship at Wall Street United Church in Brockville and at Greenfield Park United Church on the occasion of their 100th anniversary celebration. The band have also played at The Native Friendship Centre of Montreal.