Canasg is a staunchly independent small publishing house, set up in 2001 by Sheena Phillips and Peter Hill, singers, composers and founder members of the Edinburgh-based Rudsambee company of singers. They were joined by John Wexler, webmaster and stalwart of the Rudsambee bass section. Although operating from Edinburgh, Scotland, there's a strong link with Columbus, Ohio, where Sheena is now based. Canasg also publishes the choral music of several other composers in Scotland and England, who are introduced further down this page.
	You could have a piece of music written for that special event contact a Canasg composer...

Sheena Phillips Sheena Phillips is a composer, singer and choral director based in Columbus, Ohio. She previously lived in Edinburgh, Scotland and was a founder member of Rudsambee company of singers, which she directed for six years. Sheena's compositions have been performed by many amateur and professional groups in Britain and the USA, including Seattle Pro Musica, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, the Lancaster Chorale, Canty (female voices of Cappella Nova of Scotland), the Paragon Ensemble for new music, the Columbus Women's Chorus and Voice Columbus. She sings professionally with the Lancaster Chorale, the Columbus Bach Ensemble and the Early Interval and she is music director of the Magpie Consort, a twelve voice ensemble.

Peter Hill Peter sings tenor (and plays occasional flute) with Rudsambee. He lists his favourite composer as 'Trad Anon', and has arranged many traditional songs for choir. He has written new songs in English and Gaelic, and lyrics that have been set to music by Sheena Phillips and Frances Cockburn.

Frances Cockburn Frances is the Musical Director of Rudsambee company of singers and writes and arranges a steady stream of choral music, much of which is deeply rooted in the Scots tradition.

Michael Buck Michael Buck started composing as a member of Rudsambee company of singers. He is a theological librarian in Edinburgh and also a lover of poetry, which is the main inspiration for his music.

Marg Hall Singer and recorder player and teacher, Marg has published recorder quartets and trios, but says 'the greatest challenge is to write for voices'. She lives in the countryside near Edinburgh where she also runs a pottery.

Douglas Cook Douglas Cook has written and arranged music all his working life, firstly as a teacher and director of music in secondary schools in the south of England, and now in busy retirement in the Lake District. Singing has always been important too: he trained as a Quirister at Winchester College and currently directs a small chamber choir, Nova Cantica. He has a particular interest in medieval and Renaissance music.

John Wexler A singer, recorder player and computer wizard, John's eclectic common sense makes him an invaluable member of the Canasg team.

Philip Wood Philip Wood is a composer and teacher based in Cumbria. He has degrees in music from Northampton and Leeds, latterly studying with Philip Wilby and Prof. Julian Rushton. During the early part of his career Philip received much encouragement from Sir Malcolm Arnold and as a result does much work for the Arnold Society. Amongst his pieces written for professional musicians are: String Quartet No. 3 (Sorrel Quartet), Concertino for recorder and string quartet (John Turner and members of Manchester Camerata) and Four Bagatelles (Martin Roscoe).

Chris Hutchings Chris Hutchings has been singing in choirs since the age of eight. He did an MMus in Composition at the University of Hull and studied Advanced Composition at Dartington International Summer School. Chris has had compositions performed throughout the UK and was joint winner of the Temple Church Composition Prize 2001.

Mark Burstow Mark Burstow grew up in Belfast and has a wealth of choral experience. He directed the Harlandic Male Voice Choir in Belfast for ten years (starting off as youngest Male Choir conductor in the UK) and made many recordings and broadcasts with this group. He also founded the Tavener Consort, a small select mixed voice ensemble, and directed this and a number of provincial choral societies. As a singer he served as a lay clerk at Belfast Cathedral and assisted with the training of the trebles. An enthusiastic amateur choralist, he currently lives in Bournemouth, Dorset with his wife Helen, where he works as a civil servant.

da Noust da Noust (the Orcadian word for a boat shelter) is the pen-name of a group of musicians connected with L'Arche Edinburgh. L'Arche (French for 'The Ark') is a world-wide ecumenical network of over 100 communities of people with learning disabilities and their assistants.

Jane Chattock's book of rounds In November 1832, Jane Chattock opened a small music manuscript book and wrote her name on the flyleaf. She then copied a collection of favourite rounds into it, and got her friends to add more in their own hand. We know nothing more of Jane, but her book came to light in an Edinburgh second-hand book shop in 1982 and now lets us see what amused a little group of social singers in the years around the accession of Queen Victoria. See Canasg's selection under Jane Chattock in the World section of the catalogue.

Follow the link on our links page for more information about Rudsambee Company of Singers; including concert dates, sound clips, mug shots, what their name means, and an opportunity to buy one of their excellent CDs...	Rudsambee:
citrus and honey 27 songs of love, longing, joy and sadness.
	^ New versions of traditional songs from Scotland, France, Egypt and Croatia; settings of theatre songs by Shakespeare and Ben Johnson; new settings of Scots poems; psalms and songs of praise from Europe and Africa.
Dies natalis invicti solis 23 songs of Christmas and mid-winter from many different places and times. v	Christmas and mid-winter songs, including some old favourites given a new twist and others from further off the beaten track, that celebrate not only Christmas, but also the longer history of celebrating new life as mid-winter passes and the days begin to lighten again.
Wind, water and landscape, dreams, loneliness and love are recurring themes. Some you may recognise - Ae fond kiss, Fhir a' bhata and Amazing Grace are familiar traditional Scottish tunes. Others will be completely new to you - The optimists' song and To music.	Bottled at source 25 of Rudsambee's own compositions and settings: original music, poetry and traditional songs from many countries. v

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