Welcome to our 2008/2009 concert season!

Whether you come to hear us sing music from the 12th or the 21st century, we can guarantee that it is all of the very highest quality and placed in creative, imaginative programmes that will set each work off to the very best advantage. Each programme features our finest singers, combining in various groups to inspire and uplift you with their committed, passionate performances. Maybe they’ll make you want to ‘do-it-yourself’? - you can do just that in one of our workshops or community choirs. To get involved, just give us a call direct. You can also phone or email with questions or requests for information.

2008-9

The focus is on poetry and music and on a range of great characters: Abelard & Heloise, Father Christmas, Robert Burns and John Calvin! You can meet them all this season.

For regular updates about workshops, concerts, touring, recording and news of group discounts, join our free mailing list by submitting the form on this website.

Previous events by year.

Abelard & Heloise
- a medieval love story

A proud feudal family stands in the way of the course of true love and violence leads to tragedy – sounds familiar? It should, because the true story of 12th century lovers Abelard and Heloise was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In an evening of sacred and secular song the story unfolds as these ‘star-crossed lovers’ look back on their doomed passion from the cloisters which became their separate destinies.

November 2008

CANTY (the medieval female quartet from Cappella Nova)

William Taylor medieval harps, symphonie

Ben Thapa tenor

Carols by Candlelight

The musical magic and mystery of Christmas all wrapped up in a sparkling parcel with virtuoso voices and scintillating brass. With carols for all, old favourites and delightful new seasonal songs, this hugely popular annual event returns with another wonderful new programme, including a lovely new carol written specially for the occasion by Peter McGarr. There’ll be mulled wine and mince pies on sale, as usual, and you can join in with the audience carols and this year’s ‘silly competition’. Best of all, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to marvel at the dazzling virtuosity of our special guests: St Petersburg Baroque Brass Quintet.

Carols in Brechin – We are delighted to repeat this programme at the invitation of the Brechin Arts Festival with special guests Felicity Sim (piano) and George Smith (violin)

December 2008

Glasgow & Edinburgh

Brechin Arts Festival

The Word and the Song

Our Robert Burns 250th Anniversary concerts celebrate the history of Scottish poetry and song. Alongside romantic and atmospheric settings of Burns by Robert Schuman and James MacMillan, there’ll other great Scottish poets interpreted in music by William Sweeney, Edward McGuire and ‘Anon’, plus delightful arrangements of well-loved songs by Burns. The programme will also include the World Premiere of new work by Craig Armstrong (composer of the film score for Moulin Rouge).

March 2009

The Geneva Connection

Acollection of wonderful Psalms and spiritual songs from Scottish, French and Swiss sources to celebrate the John Calvin 500th Anniversary, including some of Jean Servin’s magical, intricate settings of poetic versions of Latin Psalms by George Buchanan, showcasing the highest quality early Protestant music. With guest choirs taking the ‘church part’ in some vigorous 16th century Scottish ‘Psalms in reports’ by Andrew Blackhall, the 400th Anniversary of whose death also falls in 2009. Anyone who thinks that the Reformation was ‘anti-musical’ will have to think again!

with The Scottish Plainsong Choir directed by Edward Caswell (Perth, Edinburgh, Stirling & Glasgow) and Musick Fyne directed by D James Ross (Inverness)

May 2009

Workshops & Community Choir Sessions

Our popular workshops are fun, friendly and open to all, located in central, easily accessed venues (directions are sent with tickets). It is essential to book your place in advance!

Feel the Burns! - Vocal Work-Out Sessions

Celebrate the Robert Burns 250th anniversary with a ‘sing it yourself’ session designed to release your voice and help you sing more effectively and enjoyably. Enjoy some of Scotland’s great folk-tunes at the same time as building your singing technique. There will be an opportunity for ‘one-to-one’ surgery meetings with Cappella Nova singers. Open to all, no experience required.

EDINBURGH - Sat 10 Jan, 2009, 2-5pm
GLASGOW - Sun 11 Jan, 2009, 2-5pm
PERTH - Sat 17 Jan, 2009, 2-5pm

TICKETS: £8.00 (concessions £6.00, students £4.00)

Scottish Plainsong Choir

Our immensely popular and very special community choir will re-form again this season for a number of rehearsal/workshop sessions in spring 2009 to prepare for participation in the Geneva Connection events in May. This mixed choir includes singers of all types and levels of experience from all over Scotland, and is open to all. Contact us for more information. Sessions in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth leading to performances in May.

Victoria Requiem

There will be a series of workshops in the spring of 2009 offering the opportunity to study and sing the plainsong sections of Victoria’s 16th century masterpiece. Each workshop is a stand-alone event, but everyone who takes part will also be offered the rare chance to sing this material in a performance in Glasgow’s West End Festival on 12th June. Three sessions: Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth

Other events …

Health and Wellbeing through Song – Mondays in Autumn at the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Lifelong Learning. For details and bookings contact 0141 548 4389

The Generation Sing! - special day events in and around Glasgow in Spring 2009. For details and bookings contact Cappella Nova.