John Tavener (1944-2013)

[Boilk]

Arnold Rosner in memoriam

[subcontrabass]

For anyone interested the funeral of Sir John Tavener is scheduled to take place in Winchester Cathedral on November 18th at 11.00 a.m.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Does anyone remember a TV programme (was it Arena?) a long, long time ago featuring the young JT and The Whale? I have a dim recollection of his being filmed at the organ of a non-conformist chapel (can that really be so?) and of his being portrayed as something of an enfant terrible...but then memory plays tricks.

I don't remember the original programme, but excerpts from it were used in a documentary (?a South Bank Show?) which was first broadcast in the 1990s.

It may be of interest here to note that Amazon have an MP3 Download of the AAM/Harmonia Mundi recording of Total Eclipse and Agraphon for 129p:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tavener-Goodwin-Patricia-Rozario-Academy/dp/B00B3OXC5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1384610371&sr=1-1&keywords=john+tavener

[subcontrabass]

For anyone interested the funeral of Sir John Tavener is scheduled to take place in Winchester Cathedral on November 18th at 11.00 a.m.

Revised information now says 28th November.

[Sir Velo]

Very interesting interview on Music Matters which is available to listen here. What will surprise some here is his admiration for Stockhausen and late Stravinsky, as well as the late Beethoven quartets. His ambivalence towards God (maybe as a result of the constant pain he was suffering) is also signal. An added poignancy is the fact the interview was recorded only a month before his death.

[MrGongGong]

Very interesting interview on Music Matters which is available to listen here. What will surprise some here is his admiration for Stockhausen and late Stravinsky, as well as the late Beethoven quartets. .

Some folks said similar things about Jonathan Harvey when he died which is puzzling to those who have actually listened to Stockhausen. Music is very wide.

[ardcarp]

to those who have actually listened to Stockhausen

...as opposed to Thomas Beecham who famously said, [oh I don't need to quote it].

[MrGongGong]

...as opposed to Thomas Beecham who famously said, [oh I don't need to quote it].

Indeed , rude and ignorant

I think some of folks 'surprise' stems from maybe assuming that valuing and liking aren't necessarily the same thing ?

[jean]

(Why not delete it yourself?)

[Boilk]

Does anyone remember a TV programme (was it Arena?) a long, long time ago featuring the young JT and The Whale? I have a dim recollection of his being filmed at the organ of a non-conformist chapel (can that really be so?) and of his being portrayed as something of an enfant terrible...but then memory plays tricks.

Your post reminds me that in the mid-80s Bullfrog Films released a video (now a DVD) of an open-air performance of Tavener's The Whale (along with Hovhaness's And God Created Great Whales) performed by the Vancouver SO and chorus, and also three killer whales doing various acrobatics. I see that the DVD is still available here.

[mercia]

hundreds attended

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25148581

[ardcarp]

I received an account, a very personal account, from someone who attended John Tavener's funeral at Wichester, and here it is (by kind permission).

'What an unforgettable day. The immense privilege of attending the funeral of Sir John Tavener, with over 700 other people, of experiencing a Greek Orthodox service for the first time and of hearing every one of the Winchester Cathedral Musicians on absolute top form. The organ music before the service was glorious, and would have been more so but for the constant chatter going on around me. Then came the Cathedral Choirs combined forces, singing some of the most sublime music, Pater Noster by Stravinsky followed by 'Angels' and 'Mother of God, here I stand' by Sir John himself, accompanied by our brilliant Organists. The accompaniment during 'Angels' had me on the edge of my seat, straining not to miss a single note. George Castle played his socks off.

The service, chanted mainly in Greek, was deeply moving, full of Psalms, prayer and the Word of God. Even though I have no Greek, somehow I found I could follow it by cadence.

Then, during the Final Farewell, the Choirs sang 'Eonia' and 'Hymn to the Mother of God' by JT, 'Ave Maria' by Anton Bruckner, Jonathan Hart played JSB Chorale Prelude, 'Liebster Jesu, wir Sind heir', followed by As one who has slept' by JT, followed by the congregational hymn, ' Of the Father's heart begotten'. During that time, there was a huge queue of people filing forward to the chancel steps, to kiss the coffin and pay a final respect. I didn't do so, as I felt too emotional to move from my place. The service then moved to its close with, 'Os justi' by Bruckner and 'Nunc Dimittis' by JT. All sang the beautiful setting of the Lord's Prayer by JT and, as the coffin was carried through the packed nave, the Choirs sang, 'Donna nobis pacem', from J S Bach's B minor Mass.

Truly for me, an almost mystical experience and one which left me feeling afterwards, that I could barely speak and had somehow been offered some fleeting but real, glimpses into Heaven, through that separating veil. I don't think the Cathedral has witnessed any service like this before or possibly will do in the future. I have never heard our Musicians play, or sing better - ever. I thank God for them ALL, and for granting me this whole blessing of the experience. Hopefully, every single one of them will remember that day and even better musicians and people for having been part of it all.

By the end of the service, the low voiced chatter of people, seemed to have given way to emotional silence and as the coffin moved down the nave, the only sound apart from the music, was from the thurible, festooned with jingling bells. The power of music eh...!'

[Old Grumpy]

I received an account, a very personal account, from someone who attended John Tavener's funeral at Wichester, and here it is (by kind permission).

'What an unforgettable day. The immense privilege of attending the funeral of Sir John Tavener, with over 700 other people, of experiencing a Greek Orthodox service for the first time and of hearing every one of the Winchester Cathedral Musicians on absolute top form. The organ music before the service was glorious, and would have been more so but for the constant chatter going on around me. Then came the Cathedral Choirs combined forces, singing some of the most sublime music, Pater Noster by Stravinsky followed by 'Angels' and 'Mother of God, here I stand' by Sir John himself, accompanied by our brilliant Organists. The accompaniment during 'Angels' had me on the edge of my seat, straining not to miss a single note. George Castle played his socks off.

The service, chanted mainly in Greek, was deeply moving, full of Psalms, prayer and the Word of God. Even though I have no Greek, somehow I found I could follow it by cadence.

Then, during the Final Farewell, the Choirs sang 'Eonia' and 'Hymn to the Mother of God' by JT, 'Ave Maria' by Anton Bruckner, Jonathan Hart played JSB Chorale Prelude, 'Liebster Jesu, wir Sind heir', followed by As one who has slept' by JT, followed by the congregational hymn, ' Of the Father's heart begotten'. During that time, there was a huge queue of people filing forward to the chancel steps, to kiss the coffin and pay a final respect. I didn't do so, as I felt too emotional to move from my place. The service then moved to its close with, 'Os justi' by Bruckner and 'Nunc Dimittis' by JT. All sang the beautiful setting of the Lord's Prayer by JT and, as the coffin was carried through the packed nave, the Choirs sang, 'Donna nobis pacem', from J S Bach's B minor Mass.

Truly for me, an almost mystical experience and one which left me feeling afterwards, that I could barely speak and had somehow been offered some fleeting but real, glimpses into Heaven, through that separating veil. I don't think the Cathedral has witnessed any service like this before or possibly will do in the future. I have never heard our Musicians play, or sing better - ever. I thank God for them ALL, and for granting me this whole blessing of the experience. Hopefully, every single one of them will remember that day and even better musicians and people for having been part of it all.

By the end of the service, the low voiced chatter of people, seemed to have given way to emotional silence and as the coffin moved down the nave, the only sound apart from the music, was from the thurible, festooned with jingling bells. The power of music eh...!'

Thank you (and your friend) for that, Ardcarp. Very moving indeed. RIP, JT.

[DracoM]

Totally agree.

[mercia]

a programme about Sir J on BBC4 this evening 7:00pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mv978