2023/24 – Our twentieth season!
Cantamus Reigate was founded in 2003 by its present conductor, Nick Landauer. Its primary aims are:
- To have fun by performing worthwhile music to a high standard, on minimal rehearsals
- To enable our singers to fit us in around their regular musical and other commitments;
- To cover our costs and donate any surplus, and a retiring collection, to a nominated charity;
- To encourage competent school-age children to experience the fun and musical satisfaction of singing with an adult choir;
- To share our platform with talented young performers to give them the chance to sing or play to an appreciative audience with none of the pressures of festivals, grades or other competitions;
- To send our performers and audiences away smiling!
How it works
As the choir’s model is to arrange things such that singers can fit us around their usual commitments, we do not publish an extensive forward programme months, or even weeks in advance. Waiting until other organisations’ plans are known, we trawl the websites of local choirs, orchestras and opera groups and try to identify a possible suitable date for a future concert a short time ahead, also trying to avoid school holidays when many people are away, the local music festival and the Leith Hill Festival. Usually it means selecting the “least-worst” option which is then broadcast to the list of singers. Providing a sufficient number are available, the concert date goes ahead.
Rehearsals are arranged on different weekday evenings and at the weekends usually during the preceding two weeks, so that singers only have to miss one or two of their regular commitments or of CR rehearsals, of which there are generally only four or five. Singers therefore need either to sight read well or already be familiar with the planned repertoire!
You don’t actually “join” Cantamus Reigate, but if you’re interested in singing with us you are added to the fixing list. There’s no audition, but admission to the choir depends initially on Nick’s assessment of your experience. You then come along to a rehearsal and see how you get on. If you feel comfortable and Nick thinks that you fit in, vocally and socially, you’re in! Nick’s Golden Rule – Don’t get it wrong loudly in the concert!
Because we are irregular, we cannot charge an annual membership fee. Instead, singers are asked for a contribution to each concert in which they take part – currently £20. Any students or U18s however sing free of charge, and we offer a discrete discount to anyone for whom £20 would stop them from singing with us.
While any small surplus from the concert proceeds is added to the Choir’s funds, we also hold a ring-fenced retiring collection, 100% of which is donated to whichever charity we have chosen to support at the event.