Founded in 1954 by Elmer Iseler as the Festival Singers of Toronto, the choir was first heard on CBC Radio in a 1955 Good Friday broadcast of Bach's Christ lag in Todesbanden.
Excepting a period of about a year and a half (late 1960 to early 1962) when ill health forced his temporary resignation, Iseler was the Festival Singers' regular conductor until 1978.
Iseler himself - as a guest - conducted the final concert in the 1961-2 series prior to returning as artistic director in August 1962, and he retained the position for the ensuing 16 years.
By the mid-1970s there was dissatisfaction about the Festival Singers' objectives and policies among its constituent components - choir members, artistic director, management, and board.
Giles Bryant was named music director in June 1978, and Peter McCoppin, Jon Washburn, Brian Law, and John Barnum appeared as guest conductors during the 1978-9 season.