Rehearsals
Cantare rehearses every Wednesday evening (during school term time) at Southend High School for Boys, from 7:15pm. If you are interested in joining, please contact us using the form on the Contact page

High-quality, passionate, committed and fun. These were the principles that fuelled Cantare when it was created back in 2010 by Rachel Worth, and since then the choir has become one of the most prominent choirs for women in the Southend area under the direction of both Rachel and then Elizabeth Elliott.
The choir has developed a wide range of repertoire that both challenges and excites its members and entertains its audiences across Essex, and was delighted to welcome new musical director Elizabeth Dunlop in 2022 who has enlivened the members with her expertise and enthusiasm.

On a national level, Cantare was named ‘Choir of the Day’ at the regional round of the National Choir of the Year Competition 2012, having delighted judges with a programme that ranged from Hungarian folk music to 1920’s swing.

Cantare performs in a variety of venues from churches to bandstands and takes part in local and national competitions. Highlights from these include winning first prize at both Chelmsford and Southend Music Festivals many times, most recently in 2021 where they swept the board.
The choir has also won individual category awards; the Freda Parry Presentation bowl, the Musical Council Shield and the HWL Hobbs Challenge Shield several times. Additionally at the 2015 Festival, the choir was awarded the Claire Singers Award for “the most moving choral performance”.