Sacred Spring

Rebecca and Alan Tavener are based in Glasgow, moving there not long after graduating from university (which is where I met Alan). They very quickly became major parts of the musical scene there and more generally in Scotland, working at Strathclyde University, teaching music, and especially performing in and directing several professional, university and community choirs (including the Scottish Plainsong Choir) and other music groups. Alan is an accomplished church and recital organist, holding organist posts at St Bride’s Episcopal Church and St Columbkille’s, both in the Glasgow area. The acclaimed professional chamber choir, ‘Cappella Nova’, together with the smaller group ‘Canty’, both of which they run and direct, have performed and recorded many world premières of new music by Sir James MacMillan, Sir John Tavener, Roxanna Panufnik and others, as well as being largely responsible for the revival of the music of Robert Carver and other early Scottish composers. They often work with Bill Taylor, the distinguished harpist and music historian based in Strathpeffer, and other musicians in Scotland who share with them a passion especially for early music, and a gift for conveying that skill and enthusiasm to others.