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The
Burgess Hill based choir
Cantemus holds a unique
position among Mid Sussex choirs for
its constituted
purpose is to raise money for needy causes.
Even so,
the quality of its sound is renowned way beyond the
county boundaries.
Cantemus
came into being in
1986 although many of its singers
had taken part in concerts
long before that. Driving
force behind the choir is
soprano Susan Fleet who
has lived in Burgess Hill most of
her life establishing her
reputation in concerts and musicals. Her
charity work
involves both professionals and amateurs.
Susan Lea
(as she then was) began organizing concerts in her teens,
bringing
together her musical friends to sing and play in
order to raise
money for good causes. Cantemus was born
from these events
and as its reputation has grown so
have the requests for them to
appear at concerts.
Members
of the choir, including
their gifted musical director
Richard Haslam and accompanists, all
give their time freely
to Cantemus and pay for their own music
and
transport.
As the
choir has grown so
Susan's role has changed. No longer
responsible for organizing
every event in detail, she
concentrates more on the administrative
side of the
operation. With the services of Cantemus in
increasing
demand for charitable work there is much for her to do
-
already concerts are in the diary for 1999 and
beyond.
Responsibility
for the quality of
the choir's stage performance rests with
Richard Haslam, director
of music at Burgess Hill School who
willingly returns there in the
evening after a full stint at
work in order to take the Cantemus
rehearsals. For him,
like the others, it's a labour of
love.
The choice
of music is largely made
by Richard and Susan. Their
programmes are eclectic, being
designed to suit
the many venues in which the choir finds
itself
performing. They have ranged from a Lada garage to
Cologne cathedral as well as community halls, churches,
hospitals,
private houses and even in the open
air.
Their
music
embraces just about everything from Bach to
Broadway, pop to
Purcell and Mozart to Mack and Mabel. The
music is chosen to
match the event and audiences
should find something to suit
their taste in every
concert.
Four years
after
its formation, in 1990, Cantemus had already
established a
reputation in Burgess Hill and was thrilled to
act as the
town's first musical ambassador on a visit
to Schmallenberg,
the attractive German town in the
Sauerland with which Burgess
Hill is twinned.
Music is a
bond that knows no
language barrier and where others had
failed the singers and their
audiences established a happy
relationship that has since been
firmly cemented. That first
meeting was the beginning of many
lasting relationships for
Cantemus in Schmallenberg. It also
brought about a meeting
with Fred Schecher, a conductor and
musician well
known in Germany for his choir, recordings and
conducting.
Since their initial visit, Cantemus have been back
three
times (1992, 1994, 1997) and have welcomed the
Schmallenberg
choir Chorgemeinschaft Oberkirchen Westfeld to make
music
for charity in Mid Sussex.
How
much has
Cantemus raised for charity since 1986? In its
various
formations ranging from one or two singers to the
full choir of
more than 40 the figure now stands at a
remarkable
£151,000.
So
remember if you see a poster for
a Cantemus concert, do
buy a ticket and come along. You
will be in for a
musical treat and at the same time supporting a
good
cause.
'Friends
of Cantemus' pay
£5 per annum to receive a
regular newsletter
containing concert dates and social
gatherings.
Further
information on Cantemus and concert dates
available,
contact
Susan Fleet by selecting
this
link
or telephone her on +44 (0)1444
235475 (9 am to 5.30
pm GMT).
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