About John
John Laing is a distinguished conductor, composer, and organist. Born in London, England, he received his early training as a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, under Sir David Willcocks. Later, as Organ Scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he obtained his Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees.
Mr. Laing has had a distinguished career in several musical fields. He has directed excellent choirs in Montreal, Ottawa, Oakville and Hamilton where The John Laing Singers have maintained a widespread reputation for their exquisite sound, vibrant performances and recordings, and have represented Canada at several international festivals. He has had a long and successful career as a church musician, which has included Directorships of Music at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, Christ’s Church Cathedral in Hamilton, and St. Jude’s Church in Oakville, where he was Founder and Director of the renowned “Celebration of the Arts” concert series during its inaugural decade. In recent years, Mr. Laing has also devoted much time and energy to musical composition. His works have received several acclaimed premiere performances, and they have been presented by top-class artists both in concerts and on CD recordings.
For his services to music and the community, Mr. Laing has been the recipient of an “Above and Beyond” Award from Oakville Arts Council, the “Order of Niagara” from the Anglican Church of Canada, Honorary Citizenship of Sarasota, Florida, the 2008 “Musician of the Year” award from the City of Hamilton, and the Freedom of the City of London, U.K.