Called by The Times ‘Scotland’s outstanding professional choir’, the group had a number of early successes including the world-premiere professional recordings of the complete works of the sixteenth-century Scottish polyphonist Robert Carver. The ensemble is also ‘famous for its performances of contemporary music’ (The Guardian): it has commissioned and premiered more than 90 new works since 1986. They include Sir John Tavener’s oratorio Resurrection and Sir James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross, which was the subject of seven short films for BBC Two.

Besides appearances at numerous British festivals, Cappella Nova has made several visits to France and Germany, and toured Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Russia and the USA. Among the group’s accolades are several Enterprise Awards from the Performing Right Society and a Glenfiddich ‘Living Scotland’ award for its ground-breaking performances of Scottish early music. The group has shared plat- forms with a wide range of artists, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Concerto Caledonia, St Petersburg Baroque Brass, Scottish Ensemble, Cryptic, Kim Edgar, Tom Fleming, Dame Evelyn Glennie, John Sessions, Sister Sledge and Sheena Wellington. In ‘Spirit of Light’ they shared the stage with Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and Tommy Smith’s Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.