We are always looking for new singers! We currently have vacancies in all sections, though we are especially seeking altos and basses.
The main aim of the choir is to promote the enjoyment of singing. To join the Cantilena Singers, you don’t need to have lots of singing experience, or even be able to read music (though it definitely helps). The only things you really need are an enthusiasm for choral music and the commitment to come to weekly rehearsals.
The choir rehearses every Wednesday during term time in the school hall in Swaffham Bulbeck, from 7.45pm until 9.30pm. After the rehearsal, many members of the choir repair to the Red Lion in nearby Swaffham Prior for liquid refreshment.
Although the choir is selective, there is no formal audition process: normally, we invite prospective new members to attend one rehearsal near the start of term (since we’re generally learning new music each term, members old and new will be in more or less the same boat in terms of familiarity with the pieces we’re working on), and at the end of that rehearsal, if things have gone well, new members are invited to join the choir on a probationary basis until the next concert. Again, if things have gone well in the concert, new members are then invited to become permanent members of the choir.
To support the choir’s activities, members pay a termly subscription fee, which covers the hire of the school hall for weekly rehearsals, and the purchase and hire of music, paying for publicity materials, and so on. New members are not required to pay a subscription fee in their first term.