The cantus in Ahoy in 8 photos: ‘Everyone can sing along, even if they can’t sing’

The Tuesday night of the Eurekaweek is traditionally reserved for the cantus, where it’s not about how good you sing but how loud. This year, too, it was a definite highlight of the Eurekaweek, judging by the huge number of six thousand visitors. EM made its way through Eurekaweek participants, older students and volunteers.

From ABBA to Guus Meeuwis and the Rotterdam song, the songs of cantus band Bracchus are very different but have one thing in common: they are sing-alongs. With their energetic show, the band members get even the most introvert students on board.

Although the band plays songs that are very well known, you might lose track of the lyrics during, for example, Natasha Bedingsfield’s Unwritten. Fortunately, the Eurekaweek has prepared for this and participants can always grab their codex to sing along flawlessly.

For the volunteers of student bar In de Smitse it was a busy evening: in total 9000 litres of (festival) beer went through the tap. Important note: the bar staff likes a beer themselves, of course!

When the torch lights go up during the song Angels by Robbie Williams, the emotion of the Eurekaweek board kicks in. While they sing along in a group hug and some shed a tear, rector magnificus Annelien Bredenoord gazes at the crowd. It’s the first time she attends the cantus and she says she feels very proud: “A large part of the students hardly know each other, we are only two days on the way. But already such an atmosphere. It’s wonderful!”

While the participants are loosening up, some groups are looking for space to dance next to their table. The group of medical students of Charlotte (18, bottom row centre) is having a great time, she shouts over the loud music. “Everyone joins in, everyone can sing along, even if they can’t sing!”

The rules of the cantus are clear: sing along, stay at your own table and don’t stand on the benches and tables. That doesn’t mean that everybody sticks to those rules, which becomes clear from the growing number of groups that are kindly asked to sit down again.

Towards the end of the evening, this group of future Business Administration students is very enthusiastic about the experience. One of them summarises it briefly: “Great night, great songs, lots of beer and we accidentally made a mess of it”, pointing to a dropped pitcher of beer. A minor sidenote on an evening during which close friendships are forged.