The Motet Choir

The Hallgrímskirkja Motet Choir, founded in 1982, has long been one of the leading choirs in Iceland. Its large and diverse repertoire includes a number of oratorios, passions and requiems, as well as a cappella sacred music from various periods. The choir has also premiered many Icelandic compositions and regularly performs with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

The choir has toured widely and performed in some of Europe’s most prominent cathedrals and at various festivals. The choir sang at the Nordic Church Music Symposiums in Oslo 1986, Gothenburg 1996 and Reykjavík 2012. In 1996 it won a prize at the International Choral Competition in Cork, Ireland, and in 2014 it won three gold medals and the Grand Prix of the International Choir Competition and Festival Cançó Mediterrània.

Having released a number of CDs, the choir has earned international acclaim for its recordings. In 2011 a special deluxe edition was released of the choir‘s sold-out album of sacred music, Ljósið þitt lýsi mér. An album was also released the same year of the 2010 Christmas concert with opera singer Kristinn Sigmundsson. The choir’s most recent album release, Flétta, features a new piece from composer Haukur Tómasson, recorded at its premiere during the 2011 Reykjavík Arts Festival.