Cantamus Girls Choir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cantamus Girls Choir is a choir based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and consists of approximately forty girls aged between thirteen and nineteen. The choir was founded in 1968 by Pamela Cook (Director), Geoffrey Thompson (Cook's husband) (Treasurer), Sheila Haslam (Secretary) and Ivan Haslam (Tickets and CD Sales). [1]
Michael Neaum became the accompanist in 1976. Ann Irons joined as Assistant Director in 1976. Elaine Guy was a former member and became a Vocal Tutor in 1983. Joy Nicol became a Vocal Tutor in 1995. Philip Robinson was appointed an accompanist in 2006. [2]
Notable titles are the Choir of the World title at the 1999 Llangollen Eisteddfod, Olympic Champions title at the World Choir Games in 2004 and 2006 and the Grand Prix award at the Riva de Garda Festival in 1996.
More recently Cantamus competed at the 4th World Choir Games in Xiamen, China in July 2006, winning two gold medals, and achieved the highest mark of the competition with a score of 89.13[3]
The choir gave its first public concert in 1968 since when 340 girls have sung with Cantamus.
The girls can sing pieces in twelve different languages, all from memory.
[edit] Achievements
- 1971 - Montreux International Choral Competition - 2nd prize
- 1972 - Bela Bartok Contemporary Music Festival, Debrecen, Hungary - 1st prize
- 1972 - BBC Radio 3 "Let the People Sing" - Winners of British Round
- 1978 - Montreux International Choral Competition - Double 1st prize (Jury & Audience)
- 1979 - Międzyzdroje International Choral Festival, Poland - 1st prize
- 1980 - Llangollen Eisteddfod - 1st prize (Youth Class)
- 1982 - Vienna Youth and Music Festival - 1st prize (Female Choirs Class)
- 1982 - City of Vienna prize for most outstanding choir in the Festival
- 1986 - Montreux International Choral Festival - 1st prize (Audience)
- 1986 - BBC/Sainsbury's "Choir of the Year" competition - 1st prize (Adult Section)
- 1986-1990 - Performing Rights Society Awards every year for enterprise
- 1994 - BBC/Sainsbury's "Choir of the Year" competition - 1st prize (Youth Section)
- 1995 - International Choral Festival, Tolosa, Spain - 1st prize (Female Choirs)
- 1996 - Riva del Garda International Choral Competition - Grand Prix
- 1997 - Llangollen International Eisteddfod - Choir of the World
- 1998 - European Youth Music Festival, Neerpelt, Belgium - Summa cum Laude (Main Choir & Training Choir)
- 2002 - Arezzo International Choral Festival: 1st prize (Folk Song Class); 3rd prize (Polyphony Class); 3rd prize(Plainchant Class)
- 2004 - World Choir Olympics, Bremen, Germany: 2 Gold Medals (Equal Voices and Folk Song with Accompaniment Classes); Olympic Champions title
- 2006 - World Choir Olympics, Xiamen, China: 2 Gold Medals (Equal Voices and Folk Song with Accompaniment Classes); Most points awarded in Competition; Olympic Champions title [4]
