Cantate is one of the UK's leading young choirs. It exists to encourage young people to sing a wide choral repertoire to the highest professional standards, and is renowned for exciting, dynamic performances and refined music-making. It draws its membership of over 180 young singers from more than 70 schools in the Cambridge, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area. Cantate consists of three main choirs: the Training Choir for high voices from 8 years old; the Youth Choir of mixed voices from 13 to 16 years old; and the Senior Choir for singers from 15 to 19. In addition, there is a Chamber Choir of alumni, and a parents' and friends' choir - Amici Cantate. The choirs perform separately and together, both in their home area as well as in London, nationally and internationally. During the last year, Cantate has appeared on BBC's Songs of Praise three times. In November 2006, the Senior and Youth Choirs performed the world premiere in Cambridge of Bob Chilcott's Missa Cantate, and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in the Schools Prom. In December, their London engagements included the Royal British Legion Christmas Celebration at Freemasons' Hall and Family Carols in St Paul's Cathedral. The Youth Choir toured Tuscany and Umbria in May 2007, and the Senior Choir performed 4 concerts to packed audiences around Lake Garda in July.
In the past, Cantate has performed at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, as well as at the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican Centre, St John's Smith Square, Westminster Central Hall, The Guards Chapel, Holy Trinity Church Brompton, and the Grosvenor House Hotel - not forgetting also number 10 Downing Street! Cantate regularly achieves success in national and international competitions (Sainsbury's Children's Choir Of The Year 2000), and in the past two years has won top awards in prominent UK and European competitions, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Second Prize in 2007), the Europees Muziekfestival in Neerpelt, Belgium (First Prize Cum Laude in 2006), and the National Choral Festival at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
Founded by Michael Kibblewhite in 1994, Cantate is an open-access choir with no auditions on initial entry. It places high value not just on music-making, but on young people's social development and community involvement. Many performances are in support of a wide range of charitable causes, and Cantate is always ready to consider other such requests as well as those for public concerts and corporate events.