The Carlson Chorale was founded in 1972 by Rosalind Carlson from her former students at Canterbury Girls' High School and later Hornsby Girls' High School.  This all female choir is involved in competition, concert, charity and community work.  It has an extensive repertoire which covers a wide range of choral items from the light-hearted and folk idioms through to the more dramatic and intensive compositions.  These include some of the most challenging songs written for female choirs. The Chorale specialises in a cappella singing, especially works by the Hungarian composers Zoltan Kodály and Béla Bartók.

Those who hear the Chorale sing comment not only on the technical achievement, the manner in which a beautiful blend of the varied vocal qualities is achieved, but also on the obvious enjoyment which the Chorale members display in their singing.