CANTEMUS

Let’s sing! – or Cantemus as the Romans would have said, had they been around in 1986 when Eric Wayman founded the choir. Although based in Spalding, one or two of us travel quite a distance to rehearse each week and sing in our concerts.

Let’s sing! – all sorts of music, from magnificats to ‘Les Miserables’, by way of masses and madrigals, carols and close-harmony classics like ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘I Got Rhythm’. Folk-song arrangements are a particular favourite, and we have become well known for our programmes’ wide variety of music, catering for all tastes. This wide variety can be heard on our three recordings: Two Sides of Cantemus (which contains a performance of Fauré’s ‘Requiem’), Just Cantemus and Cantemus Live, all of which reflect our enjoyment of music both sacred and secular. Charities helped by Cantemus over the years include Oxfam, the RNLI, the RSPCA, St Barnabas Trust, ME, Leukaemia Research, Hope and Homes for Children as well as many local South Lincolnshire causes.

			Let’s sing! – in all sorts of places, from the tiny Fenland church of Whaplode Drove to the soaring vastness of Antwerp Cathedral or echoing back from the castle – crowned cliffs above Salzburg’s ancient square. The variety of venues has matched the variety of the music. On a tour to France, Cantemus gave concerts in Chartres Cathedral and the Church of the Madeleine in central Paris, and sang mass for a packed congregation in Notre Dame Cathedral. In June 2006, our twentieth season ended in style when we performed to an audience of over 1,000 at our second 'Music in the Park' event. £10,000 was raised! At the start of our 25th Season, Lesley Garrett helped us raise £19,000 for the Boston Stump Restoration and Development Appeal and became our Patron. We have recently been delighted to renew our partnership with Die Musikfreunde, Laufen in Germany.

Sopranos

Sarah Atkinson

Karen Blagbrough

Lyndsey Evans

Sam Graper

Tessa Hancox

Jane Hill

Billie Lowe

Julie Millington

Maxine Richardson

Jo Wheatley

Altos

Sue Abrams

Kim Biggs

Denise Bryan

Alison Crockatt

Jan Finch

Celia Johns

Glenis Malkin

Sue Stott

Sara Walkers

Cath Yates

Tenors

Roger Bright

Brian Hendry

Mike Jakeman

Joe Millington

Mike Tarran

Basses

Tim Atkinson

John Charlesworth

David Jones

John Tilling

David Wing

Our conductor Eric Wayman began his musical career as a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral. Later, while a pupil at Spalding Grammar School, he studied the organ with Colin Martin at Spalding Parish Church, moving on to Trinity College of Music London, where he studied conducting with Charles Proctor and organ with Harry Gabb.

Returning to Spalding he taught for twenty-nine years at the town’s Grammar School where he held several posts which included, for much of the time, Director of Music. As conductor of the school’s Concert Band he led ten continental tours. He directed the music for many of the school’s acclaimed Dramatic Society productions and in addition to writing music for the annual revues he composed four musicals in collaboration with fellow Cantemus member, John Charlesworth.

He has conducted several choirs and music societies in the Spalding and Peterborough area and was for many years an Assistant Organist at Peterborough Cathedral where he accompanied the cathedral choir in services, concerts and broadcasts. More recently he was the Director of Music at St. Botolph’s Church, Boston.