Cappella Nova

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.

"Cappella Nova has raised choral singing to vertiginous heights in Scotland” Classical Music Magazine

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 emminence. 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.

"Gloriously splendid richness of wonderful sound" Landshuter Zeitung

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.

"Cappella Nova is Scotland's premier vocal ensemble. Its focus, commitment and virtuosic a cappella singing would make it premier just about anywhere" The Boston Globe

A rapidly growing side to our work is education and outreach. No season goes by without an accompanying programme of workshops, pre-performance talks and community choir sessions. Outstandingly successful has been our ad hoc group drawn from participants of all standards from across Scotland: The Scottish Plainsong Choir. This group often acts as a 'backing ensemble' for our medieval events. For details of up-coming opportunities, see the Concert Diary.

“Cappella Nova are as firm and round-toned in the flesh as they are on disc” The Scotsman

“Effortlessly high-floating sopranos, honeyed altos, trumpet-like tenor singing and basses entering so as to give the impression of organ-stops being drawn out” The Daily Telegraph

A Glenfiddich Living Scotland Award, six Enterprise Awards from the Performing Right Society and a number of 'Critic's Choice' listings for our recordings tell their own story of Cappella Nova's excellence. We hope that you will discover us for yourself by listening to our recordings, coming to a performance or taking part in one of our workshops!

Selected Programmes

Following are just a very few sample programmes to give a flavour of our work. Besides these which all have a distinct Scottish flavour, we also perform a vast range of European medieval and renaissance material. Promoters are invited to contact us to request further information and programme selections.

EARLY MUSIC

1. Music for the Chapel Royal of Scotland

A sample programme of the best of sixteenth-century Scottish polyphony featuring the only British Mass based on the L'Homme armé melody.
8 singers and director

2. Coronation Music for King James V of Scotland

Magnificent music written in 1513 for the coronation of James V.
20 singers and director

3. Celtic Saints

Unique 13th-century Celtic chant performed with improvised harp accompaniments which reflect the ancient bardic traditions of Scotland.
6 male singers, harp, bells and director

4. The Thistle & The Rose

Polyphony of virtuosic complexity from Scotland's Carver Choirbook
12 singers and director

EARLY AND NEW MUSIC

5. Earlier Heaven

American composer Joanne Metcalf wrote the luminously lovely 'Earlier Heaven' for 8 soloists based on Medieval musical fragments from Scotland. Also in the programme are two other commissions which hark back to the past and connect with poetic and music traditions in Scotland.

6. Cantigas para Semana Santa

Wilson's Cantigas is inspired by Spanish celebrations of Holy week - a dramatic and spiritual work expressing the despair and joy of Christ's Passion.
16 singers and director

7. In tempore belli

Medieval and renaissance music on the theme of peace

In tempore belli was a deeply felt response to the first Gulf War and the horrors of war in general.
12 singers and director

8. an seachnadh

Sweeney's work is a tour de force - a vocal symphony for 16 soloists setting passionate love poetry in Gaelic. We perform it alongside madrigals and part-songs about love's pleasures and pains. Some of these songs are settings of poetry by Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet.
16 singers and director