John Tavener

Favourite Anthems

John Tavener Favourite Anthems for SATB choir presents some of John Tavener's most popular works from his outstandingly varied and extensive catalogue of works for choir. Also included are beautiful miniatures and radiant anthems which trace a line over the years from the exquisite simplicity of his setting of William Blake's The Lamb to the monumental Veil of the Temple and beyond. John Tavener rose to fame in 1969 when his oratorio The Whale was recorded on The Beatles' Apple label. Following his conversion to the Orthodox Church in 1977, his music moved in the direction of ever greater spirituality and intensity. He scored a popular success in 1989 with the Proms premiere of The Protecting Veil, followed by the production of his opera Mary of Egypt at the Aldeburgh Festival.

His knighthood was announced in the Millennium Honours List. Later in 2000, he was the subject of a festival at the South Bank Centre. Since then, his music has taken a Universalist approach, embracing many religious traditions, in mighty choral works including The Veil of the Temple as well as Fall and Resurrection, Ikon of Eros, Lament for Jerusalem, The Beautiful Names, his Mass Sollemnitas in Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis and a Requiem set in a variety of languages, including English, Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Sanskrit as well as the more familiar text in Latin. In no way restricted in his output to choral works, Tavener has also produced innumerable orchestral, instrumental and solo vocal pieces and has collaborated on dance projects and film soundtracks.