Micaela Haslam, Anne Lewis, Rebecca Tavener, Joanne Wicks singers William Taylor medieval harps/clarsach/symphonie/psaltery

Canty is the UK’s only ensemble specialising in medieval music from the Celtic ancestral homelands, particularly Scotland and Ireland. Founded in 1998 in the 900th anniversary year of Hildegard von Bingen, Canty comprises four female singers and one instrumentalist, occasionally adding an actor/reader. Besides medieval Scottish chant from the Inchcolm Antiphoner and Sprouston Breviary and 15th century Irish chant from manuscripts belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, the group also performs the music of Hildegard, Cantigas di Santa Maria and Italian Laude. Their repertoire of polyphony includes English medieval carols, Scottish 13th century motets from the St Andrews Music Book, Franco-Scottish conductus from W1, material from the Huelgas MS and Llibrre Vermell plus a fascinating collection of contemporary music composed specially for them. Canty’s regular accompanist, William Taylor, is a viruoso improviser on the medieval wire-strung clarsach (Celtic harp) and also plays a wide selection of other medieval harps, psaltery, symphonie and percussion

Sample Programme:

Flame of Ireland: A medieval Irish Office for St Brigit of Kildare
Felix Femina: 13th century Scottish Lady Mass
Songs of Praise and Protection: A sequence of medieval and contemporary music (including a new work by Sir John Tavener)

Education:

General singing and chant workshops for all ages. Harp/clarsach workshops.

Recordings:

Wings of Wisdom: Hildegard von Bingen and Incholm Antiphoner (Dorian DOR-93232)
Flame of Ireland: Medieval Irish Chant (Gaudeamus 354)
Felix Femina: Medieval Scottish polyphony (Gaudeamus 360)
An Office for St Patrick: (Gaudeamus - serial number tbc)

Performances:

25 Feb 07 St Andrews in the Square, Glasgow
18 May 07 Galway Early Music Festival, St Nicholas
Collegiate Church, Galway
26 Jul 07 Remigius Church, Bonn

Contact:

Rebecca Tavener, 172 Hyndland Road, Glasgow G12 9HZ

Tel: 0141 552 0634
Fax: 0141 552 4053

Email: rebecca@cappella-nova.com Website: www.cappella-nova.com/canty