Soprano
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 to countries such as 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. Other Purcell performances have included the role of Belinda in the Barbican and Symphony Hall Birmingham.
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!
Living in Scotland for the past 24 years, Libby performs regularly for many choral societies – Handel’s Nelson Mass in Dundee Caird hall, St John’s Passion in the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh – and has appeared often in the Edinburgh Festival most notably with Bryn Terfel in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, which she went on to record for Decca.
“Fluid phrasing and sense of pace effortlessly spinning these beautiful but challenging melodic lines
”
In April 2017, she played the part of Golde in Edinburgh Musical Theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof, which demonstrated not only her strong vocals, but powerful stage presence. Below are a selection of photos and a review of her performance.
“Libby Crabtree’s Golde is particularly good – an engaging interpretation of a fascinating role”
