Skip to navigation

About Cantate

Cantate is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading youth choirs.

Performing with Cantate is very much an all-round musical and social experience. Our youth choirs performs many concerts within its home area of Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire as well as appearing in concerts in London and elsewhere. Regular tours to Europe have been a feature of Cantate’s calendar for many years. In addition Cantate frequently perform at charitable events.

Cantate has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, both in the BBC and Schools Prom Concerts, the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, Guildhall London, 10 Downing Street, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and in many local and regional venues. Cantate has gained many national and international awards. In 2008 we achieved international acclaim at the world’s largest choral event – the World Choir Games in Graz, Austria – in which over 430 choirs from some 90 countries competed. Cantate won gold and silver medals, and was the only UK choir to win a gold medal in the finals.

Cantate has appeared on BBC Songs of Praise several times, and has worked and recorded under conductors including Sir Andrew Davis and John Rutter. It is proud to have the active support of two honorary patrons: Baroness Genista McIntosh and composer Mark-Anthony Turnage. Cantate is fortunate to work closely with a team of musicians and vocal specialists of the highest calibre, led by its joint music directors, NICHOLAS SHAW and GRAHAM INSTRALL

Cantate believes that cost should not be a barrier to membership. It therefore relies heavily on sponsorship, grants, donations and voluntary help, as well as having its own bursary fund. Drawing on all its experience since it was founded by MICHAEL KIBBLEWHITE in 1994, Cantate now works actively with other young choirs, sharing its skills and enthusiasm for music-making with the wider community of singers.

Music Directors

The internationally-acclaimed Youth Choir

Web Friends

You are viewing the text version of this site.

To view the full version please install the Adobe Flash Player and ensure your web browser has JavaScript enabled.

Need help? check the requirements page.