Interim Musical Director
Libby Crabtree
Libby Crabtree
Libby Crabtree started her musical training at Cambridge where she sang in Clare Chapel Choir. She has since enjoyed a varied career, ranging from musicals in London’s West End (Return to the Forbidden Planet) to performances with many early music groups including The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars and Polyphony. Tours with these groups have taken her all over the world including Japan, New Zealand, the USA and Brazil.
Solo oratorio performances have included Messiah in Poland, The Fairy Queen in Israel, Bach’s B Minor Mass in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Handel’s Israel in Egypt for Dutch Television with the Brandenburg Consort and Stephen Cleobury. She has worked extensively with Robert King and The King’s Consort performing the role of Quivera in The Indian Queen, and Dido and Aeneas in Spain and Norway. Her involvement with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen has led to many solo recordings over the 20 years, including the Pie Jesu from Faure’s Requiem with Yan Pascal Tortelier and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Indeed this recording was chosen by Richard Madeley as his top favourite on Desert Island Discs!
For the last 10 years, Libby has been combining her professional singing work with the post of Head of Music in an Edinburgh school, and has also been embracing the new challenge of choral conducting. She has now decided to relinquish her teaching role to concentrate on conducting and performing. Currently, she directs a number of local choirs, ranging from fun community singers to larger choral societies which perform more complex works with orchestral support. Recent performances include Handel’s Israel in Egypt with choir and orchestra and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
Additionally, Libby is an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, an accomplished pianist, music assessor and adjudicator. She welcomes this opportunity to work as a Interim Musical Director with the well-established and renowned choir Cadenza. You can find out more about Libby at www.libbycrabtree.org