Member profile
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Cappella Nova and Canty
Cappella Nova is Scotland's leading professional vocal ensemble specialising in early (medieval and renaissance) and contemporary music. The group was formed by Alan and Rebecca Tavener in 1982, and has just celebrated its twenty-first anniversary.
We have made twelve CDs of Scottish (mostly!) vocal music from medieval times to the present day (see our discography for full details) and we are particularly well-known for our recordings of early Scottish composers such as Robert Carver, Robert Johnson, David Peebles and the ever-present and prolific 'Anonymous'. We are very proud of our role in helping to restore Scotland's rich and unique musical heritage to its rightful eminence. In 1998 (the 900th anniversary of Hildegard von Bingen) we formed an offshoot group, Canty, featuring four female voices and medieval harps and specialising in medieval music from Celtic sources.
Since 1986 we have commissioned and premiered more than 50 new works, mostly by Scottish composers. In 1990 Cappella Nova premiered John Tavener's three-hour long work, Resurrection, which was commissioned for us by the City of Glasgow in celebration of it's year as European Capital of Culture. This was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. We have given many performances on radio and television, including seven TV films for BBC2 featuring James MacMillan's Seven Last Words. We also sang the award-winning soundtrack by William Sweeney for the Tartan Short film an iobairst. Our work is not confined to classical music: in 2002 we sang the backing vocal arrangements for the new album Hate by The Delgados, and we enjoy working in cross-over collaborations with jazz, contemporary popular and traditional artists.
As well as promoting our own season of concerts and workshops in historic venues across Scotland, we give performances for others. These have included several appearances in the Edinburgh International Festival as well as performances in specialist foreign festivals such as the Regensburg Tage Alte Musik and Paris Mai Baroque. The group is in demand abroad: as well as given a series of recitals at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, we have toured in Russia, Hungary, Germany and France. In March 1998 we made our debut tour of the USA to great critical acclaim.
Canty, Scotland’s only professional Medieval music group, was formed by Rebecca Tavener in 1998, the 900th anniversary of the birth of Hildegard of Bingen, and it comprises the regular female singers with Cappella Nova, Scotland’s leading early music vocal ensemble. As individuals, the singers bring to the group a wealth of experience, both as soloists and as members of other distinguished ensembles. Together with regular collaborator, harpist William Taylor, they explore a unique repertoire combining Medieval music and contemporary works written specially for them, along with ongoing research and experimentation in performance practice for Medieval music from Celtic homelands.
Canty’s debut CD, Wings of Wisdom, features chant by Hildegard von Bingen and from medieval Scotland and was released on the Dorian label. Flame of Ireland (Sanctuary Gaudeamus), their second recording, features world premiere recordings of 15thc Irish chant for St Brigit of Kildare. Their third disc, Felix Femina – medieval Scottish polyphony (Sanctuary Gaudeamus) was described by Andrew McGregor as having a ‘transcendental quality that absolutely suits the music’ (CD Review, BBC Radio 3). A fourth CD, Apostle of Ireland, featuring Medieval Irish chant for St Patrick, has just been released on the Divine Art label. The latest CD, to be released by Linn Records in 2010, combines medieval repertoire with new works written specially for the group including pieces by James Macmillan and Sir John Tavener.
Canty has appeared in many distinguished festivals and venues at home and abroad, including the Edinburgh Festival, Galway Early Music Festival, Spitalfields Festival, Edinburgh International Harp Festival, the International Celtic Congress (Bonn) and the National Centre for Early Music in York. Future projects include commissions from Gabriel Jackson, Joanne Metcalf and other composers, leading to the recording in 2009 of a new CD of contemporary and medieval music for Linn Records.