Cantus

"Cantus" are a group of up to thirty choral singers drawn from all over the UK who come together to sing at cathedrals when the resident choir is on vacation. We sing under the direction of our Musical Director, Phil Cowling. What do you sing ? As we only perform in cathedrals, we perform a wide repertoire of choral music carefully selected to be e... njoyable and challenging to sing ranging from Gibbons, Palestrina, Victoria and Purcell through to Howells, Britten etc. You can find further information on our repertoire page. Where and when do you rehearse ? With singers coming from all parts of the UK, we do not rehearse regularly but "blitz" the music on the Saturday morning of the weekend visit to the cathedral. How much does it cost ? Membership of Cantus is free of charge although we do ask singers at our cathedral visits to donate £5 each towards printing and photocopying costs. Would I have to be able to read music to sing with Cantus ? Yes - because our rehearsals only take place on the weekend of each performance they have to focus on technique and musicianship. There is no time for "note bashing" and so ability to sight read music is essential. Is there an audition ? No - having sung with many choirs of vastly varied abilities, Phil has a very good knowledge of what makes a good musical CV and what doesn't. If someone approaches Cantus to sing with them, Phil will be able to tell from the musical achievements of the person whether they'll be of a good enough musical standard. The other qualification for joining the choir is if Phil likes the person - he's a very amenable person but doesn't like people who talk the talk but can't deliver the goods. He suspects he has Yorkshire blood in him - he likes calling a spade a spade! Can we book Cantus to sing for us ? Cantus singers come together from across the UK and as a result we aren't generally hirable. Feel free to contact us though if you're planning something special - we might be able to assist.Read More