The people of Fribourg seem to be so enthusiastic about singing that there is one organised singer for every 35 inhabitants of the canton. Church choirs and secular choirs, mixed or not; choirs with young and less young members, with professional ambitions or not: the Fribourg Choral Association comprises some 7,200 singers in 234 groups; there are also short-lived formations for specific projects and informal ensembles outside any association structure.

This unusual density can be explained by an age-old tradition that is firmly anchored in regional history: although the choral movement developed in all Catholic cantons, it found particularly fertile ground in Fribourg, where rural society was firmly controlled by the clergy. However, the choral movement also developed outside the religious environment, sometimes as a counter-reaction to it. However, Abbé Joseph Bovet (1879-1951) succeeded in uniting all voices and his charisma long characterised the choral life of the entire region. In the 20th century, both the repertoire and the catchment areas expanded, so that the tradition typical of a parish culture of singing primarily in and with the village, in the shadow of the church tower and to the rhythm of local life, faded somewhat into the background.

Since 1992, the old church in Jaun has been home to the Cantorama, Fribourg's house of choral singing.