Community & Outreach Leaders

Alan Tavener
Conductor of Cappella Nova & Outreach Director

Before co-founding the professional choir Cappella Nova in 1982, Alan Tavener had already begun his work in the amateur sector with the founding and direction of several student choirs. As Director of Music at Jordanhill Parish Church in Glasgow, in 1996 he formed the Jordanhill Community Choir and subsequently the ecumenical Jordanhill Liturgical Choir. Since then, he has co-founded the St Columbkille’s Schola and assumed the role of Director of Music at St Bride’s Episcopal Church in Glasgow. As well as conducting Strathclyde University Chamber Choir (the group for which James MacMillan composed eleven of his fourteen Strathclyde Motets), he leads the choirs in the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Strathclyde.  He also led Cappella Nova’s own community choir The Scottish Plainsong Choir, a community project which explored liturgical music in historic venues and which regularly appeared as a ‘backing group’ with Canty and Cappella Nova

All of these choirs represent a wide range of aspirations and abilities, including many novices to choral singing. In addition to his regular choral conducting commitments, he also undertakes a considerable amount of ad hoc work with other established choirs – ranging from children’s choirs to chamber choirs – and with ad hoc choirs, ranging between community choirs and one-off choral workshops.

In 2008, Alan was invited to direct a Masterclass for student choral directors at the Moscow Conservatoire, and mentors Apprentice Conductors for the Association of British Choral Directors as well as serving on the Association’s Training and Standards Unit.  He has led Workshops for the Universities of Aberdeen, Abertay and Nottingham, and other organisations including the Early Music Fora of Scotland and of North East England. As a postgraduate student at the University of Strathclyde, Alan’s research interests centred on the holistic benefits of group-singing activities. In 2015 he was awarded the Associate of the Royal School of Church Music in recognition of “a considerable contribution to church music in Scotland, particularly in his ecumenical approach” and, in the 2020 New Year Honours List, the BEM for “services to choral music in Scotland”.

Rebecca Tavener (soprano)
Creative Director of Cappella Nova

Rebecca creates the artistic programmes for Cappella Nova and also directs her own offshoot ensemble, the critically acclaimed medieval/contemporary group Canty. She has been involved in the Cappella Nova workshop programme from its beginnings, and co-founded the Scottish Plainsong Choir with Alan Tavener. She has directed workshops in arts centres such as The Sage (Gateshead/Newcastle) and The Horsecross (Perth), as well as events for both for undergraduate and postgraduate students, in Universities such as NUI Maynooth (Rep. of Ireland), Strathclyde and Aberdeen. She has collaborated with dancers and special-needs specialists in community programmes and, with Canty, she has led many workshops and master-classes for festivals, at home and abroad. A believer in and teacher of bel canto singing technique, Rebecca is particularly involved in leading sessions on the physical aspects of singing: during the early months of the COVD-19 Pandemic, she shared weekly Singing Tips, which have since been published online by the Royal School of Church Music.

Libby Crabtree
Outreach Leader

While at Cambridge University, Libby Crabtree sang with Clare College Chapel Choir and Cambridge University Chamber Choir before going on to lead a busy professional singing life. She recorded, performed and toured worldwide with The Sixteen Choir, The Tallis Scholars and The King’s Consort for over 20 years. Her many solo recordings are highly acclaimed, most notably for Decca Records singing a duet with Renee Fleming and ensembles with Sir Bryn Terfel (Mendelssohn’s Elijah). Libby is now a freelance musician based in Edinburgh, combining her time conducting choirs, adjudicating music festivals and teaching. She has directed many workshop days for local choirs and has also run her own community choir. As part of the Cappella Nova Outreach Team, she has put on many highly successful and popular courses for the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Strathclyde University, including musical theatre Classes.

Paul Keohone
Outreach Leader

We are delighted and excited that Paul Keohone has recently joined the Cappella Nova Outreach Team, and will be leading the Health and Wellbeing Through Song classes in our collaboration with the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Strathclyde.  Paul is a wonderful choir-leader: he has sung with many national and international vocal groups and opera choruses, and is well-known locally as a conductor, singer and vocal coach, working with such diverse organisations as NHS Scotland, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, and Hearts and Minds.  Participants in Health and Wellbeing Through Song will be able to benefit from Paul’s considerable experience in encouraging beginners and those who are struggling with their vocal health, and can look forward to the joy and enrichment of finding or rediscovering their voices.

Bill Jones
Outreach Leader

Singer, trombonist, pianist, arranger, composer, and former headmaster, Bill began his musical career as a cathedral chorister and claims to have sung for as long as he can remember! After studying Music at Edinburgh University, he combined his career as a teacher with a richly varied musical life including jazz, directing music in church and on the stage, singing as a cathedral lay clerk, and solo work with choral societies and on the recital stage, as well as being particularly proud of his time as a singer with Cappella Nova for eight years. As a freelance musician, he now continues to be busy performing in a variety of Scottish jazz groups, leading care home and community singalongs, directing music at St Michael’s Church, Linlithgow, conducting the Linlithgow String Orchestra and leading community music projects.