Canty

Canty was founded in 1998 by Rebecca Tavener to celebrate the 900th anniversary of Hildegard of Bingen. An ensemble of four women's voices from Cappella Nova, they specialise in Medieval plainsong and polyphony, giving dramatic and entrancing performances which look as good as they sound. Canty's name is a virtual pun. Canty is an old Scots word meaning 'lively, small, neat, well-formed and rather jolly' but it also hints at the Latin and Italian words for song/singing.

"The quality of the voices is outstanding" Early Music

"Canty sing with thrilling purity and clarity in voices that angels might envy" Green Man Review

Their debut CD of music by Hildegard of Bingen, Wings of Wisdom was released in 2002 to critical acclaim:-

"An excellent disc featuring the cracking combination of the all-woman Scottish early music group Canty with historical harp expert William Taylor. The combination of voices and instruments is spellbinding" Early Music Today.

"The singing on this recording is gorgeous" American Record Guide

Their second CD Flame of Ireland, the world premiere recording of medieval Irish plainsong for St Brigit of Kildare, was released on the Gaudeamus label in January 2005. This will be followed later in the year by A Scottish Ladymass, featuring 13th century polyphony from the St Andrews Music Book, also recorded for the first time. After this, they will perform and record an Office for St Patrick from the same Irish sources as the Brigit material. Canty also appears on Cappella Nova’s CD The Thistle and The Rose, singing Robert Carver’s extraordinary Mass for Three Voices.

Canty’s regular performing partner is the brilliant, improvising instrumentalist William Taylor, playing Medieval harps (including the wire-strung clarsach or Celtic harp), organistrum and psaltery. The group occasionally involves other instruments in appropriate repertoire, such as recorders, percussion, portative organ and bells.

Besides their main repertoire of Medieval music, Canty commissions and premieres new music. These works can be interleaved with Medieval material to delightful effect. Recent premieres have included works by Ivan Moody (Erimos), Sheena Phillips (Sea Pieces and Invocation), Edward McGuire (Celtic Knotwork), Rebecca Rowe (There is nothing brighter than the sun)and Peter McGarr (Flower Garland). A new work by Edward Harper is currently in preparation, commissioned for Canty by the Edinburgh Harp Festival for their 25th anniversary celebrations in 2006.

The look of a performance is very important to Canty. The group explores each venue and exploits its geography to the best musical effect, singing occasionally from different points, whilst moving, or sometimes spaced around the audience. Stylised dress and candles add to the visual impact of the seamlessly devised sequences of music that are a hallmark of our programming. Some programme examples are listed below to give a flavour of the musical experiences we offer.

"Magical, mystical, even erotic" The Scotsman

Selected Programmes

1. An Office for St Brigit

A 15thC Irish Office for one of Britain's most celebrated and colourful saints, performed by voices and medieval clarsach as a lyrical tapestry of miracles and magic.

2. Hildegard and the Queen of Heaven

A programme celebrating Hildegard von Bingen's devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Marian chant and polyphony from Scotland, Spain and France, and readings from Hildegard and other female mystics.

3. A Scottish Ladymass

Reconstructs the plainchant and polyphony for a Ladymass as it might have been sung in St Andrews Cathedral, c1300. (available from January 2004)

4. Celtic Pilgrims

A musical jurney with the Celtic wanderers who took Christianity across Europe from Ireland and Scotland in the Dark Ages, with chant in praise of St Kentigern (Sprouston Breviary), St Columba (Inchcolm Antiphoner), St Disibod (Hildegard von Bingen), St Brigid and St Patrick (15thC Irish chant).

5. Medieval Maidens and Mystics

Celebrates the female saints and mystics of the early church in plainsong and polyphony from across Europe. Includes saintly songs from the Florentine Laudario and Hildegard's works dedicated to St Ursula. Readings from Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena and other female visionaries.

6. Nowell, Nowell - A Medieval Christmas

English Medieval carols, with plainsong for Advent and Christmas, in seven sections, each headed by one of the great 'O' antiphons.

7. Robert Carver  'Mass for Three Voices'

The extraordinary, virtuoso, highly decorative high-voice Mass, composed by Scotland's eccentric musical genius for the choristers of the Chapel Royal in Stirling Castle.

8. Music for Robert the Bruce

Vivid polyphony from the St Andrews Music Book, interleaved with Easter plainchant and songs from the Roman de Fauvel, celebrate's Bruce's reception back into the Church, and reviews his heroic life. Readings from John Barbour's epic poem The Bruce.

9. Litany for the Whale

John Cage meets Hildegard in a rich sequence of medieval and modern music on an ecological theme

10. Spanish Miracles

Rollicking numbers from the Cantigas de Santa Maria, pilgrim songs from the Llibre Vermell, exalted polyphony from the Codex Las Huelgas and specially researched Iberian chants and hymns feature in this unique Spanish medieval programme.