John Tavener

[ardcarp]

I'm sure most Choir boarders will have heard of the death of Sir John. He was certainly a big influence on English choral music. Delightfully eccentric and with a noted sense of humour, I'm sure he will not mind my saying:

Requiescat in Pace (sorry I can't do Russin)
Let him be surrounded by the chorus angelorum. May they sustain long notes and have some deep basses within their ranks. And may they sing for ever.

[MickyD]

Very sad news indeed...I discovered his music very late in life. I love this short piece - "Eternity's Sunrise":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9PAlIjl_pM

[ardcarp]

Thanks for that Micky. I was in just the right mood for it...somewhat meditative in view of JT's passing. It was unmistakably by him, and it led me to thinking how his creation of timelessness by (what appear to be) simple means, minimal material and much repetition, is extremely difficult to do well. Alas so many imitators don't quite pull it off!

[MickyD]

How right you are, ardcarp. Timeless is the word indeed....I find it both hypnotic and eerie at the same time.

[ardcarp]

I wonder if any singers in choirs (of whatever sort) would like to say which of Tavener's choral pieces have impressed them most...eg Hymn to the Mother of God (X2), Song for Athene, God is with us, etc, etc. (No need to include The Lamb which is an established gem.) I've seen the effect on audiences in big buildings; they are unfailingly wowed, but from the singers' point of view........

[edashtav]

I'm sure most Choir boarders will have heard of the death of Sir John. He was certainly a big influence on English choral music. Delightfully eccentric and with a noted sense of humour, I'm sure he will not mind my saying:

Requiescat in Pace (sorry I can't do Russin)
Let him be surrounded by the chorus angelorum. May they sustain long notes and have some deep basses within their ranks. And may they sing for ever.

Well written ardcarp - he did the difficult, simple things well.

[Nick Armstrong]

The performance of his Nunc Dimittis on CE tomorrow live from CC Oxford will be packed with emotion and significance...

[Philip]

Thanks for that Micky. I was in just the right mood for it...somewhat meditative in view of JT's passing. It was unmistakably by him, and it led me to thinking how his creation of timelessness by (what appear to be) simple means, minimal material and much repetition, is extremely difficult to do well. Alas so many imitators don't quite pull it off!

How true this is. I've always liked 'The Lamb', but only once I examined the score more closely did I realise the economy of notes, the reversal of phrases, and the sheer genius in creating something so profound from so little musical material. My abiding memory of the piece is as the opener to a carol service a few years back (a very effective place for it IMO) and whenever I hear it I recall that first hearing. I know of many who dislike the piece, but there are surely many more (including me) for whom its simplicity expresses something quite magical. I shan't complain when the piece doubtless receives many performances in tribute to Sir John's passing in the coming weeks of the festive season.

Of course you're right that 'The Lamb' is now ubiquitous. I find 'God is with us' is a striking piece, with the same repeating phrases, and then the bold acclamation 'Christ is born' and the entry of the organ at the end - highly original. I also enjoy his evening canticles - again highly original, not an everyday Howells or Stanford, but worth an outing every so often.

Indeed, original seems to be an apt word - Tavener had a unique voice and has certainly made a lasting contribution to the world of choral music which will be cherished for generations to come. How sad that so many of his later years were marred by ill health - hopefully the flights of angels are now singing him to his rest.

[decantor]

When the news about Sir John reached the BBC, John Rutter happened to be in the In Tune studio. He had been a close friend of Tavener since their early teenage years together at Highgate School, and he spoke, movingly and tellingly, about his friend as man and musician. He used the word ‘spirituality’: it is in some contexts a weasel word, but Tavener gave it real meaning – and not only in his liturgical works. We have lost a composer of genuine stature, capable of touching all. RIP.

[DracoM]

Maybe now we will actually get to hear more of his music? How ironic is that!

[ardcarp]

Ten members of The BBCS sang part of The Lamb live at the end of R4's Today programme. Maybe not as JS would prefer to hear it (the dry studio acoustics, I mean!) but it is gratifying that the BBC saw fit to pay tribute, and to attach significance to the arts.

[Old Grumpy]

Ten members of The BBCS sang part of The Lamb live at the end of R4's Today programme. Maybe not as JS would prefer to hear it (the dry studio acoustics, I mean!) but it is gratifying that the BBC saw fit to pay tribute, and to attach significance to the arts.

Or perhaps the excessive vibrato?

[ardcarp]

...the thought never entered my head.

[Gabriel Jackson]

Remember who Song for Athene was written for

[ahinton]

Remember who Song for Athene was written for

Athene Hariades, a Greek family friend who was an English and drama teacher and who was killed in a cycling accident - but I don't get your point in mentioning this in terms of the context of the thread or of individual posts within it, so perhaps you could explain.