The rear cover of this CD carries the statement, in minuscule
type, that the disc “comprises tracks from the Opus Arte DVD
Choral Icons OA 0855 D”. I haven’t seen the DVD so I
don’t know if this programme comprises all the music on the
DVD but intending purchasers should be wary of the possibility
of duplication.
For anyone who is coming fresh to this collection, it offers
a good introduction to the choral music of Sir John Tavener.
As the title of the programme suggests much of the music is
inspired by his Russian Orthodox religion, though there’s one
secular item in the shape of his William Blake setting The
Tyger. I should say that, to judge from his comment in the
booklet, the composer appears to regard this, too, as a religious
piece.
Several of the pieces are extremely well known, not least Song
for Athene, which acquired an instant fame when it was sung
at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Lamb
is almost as well known, thanks to its association with the
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge.
The gorgeously-textured Hymn to the Mother of God and
Tavener’s settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are also
among his best-known compositions.
Some of the other items are less familiar, however, not least
The Hymn of the Unwaning Light, which I can’t
recall hearing before but which is an eloquent and very devotional
piece. Unfortunately, the booklet notes aren’t a great deal
of help. These consist of a short, somewhat philosophical note
by the composer and a longer – and rather specialised – article
on the subject of ikons. Unfortunately, neither tells us much
about the music itself, which isn’t much use to anyone who isn’t
au fait with Tavener’s music. That’s a shame because
it’s precisely that type of person who may well buy this CD,
perhaps as an impulse purchase.
However, what I can assure prospective purchasers is that, if
Tavener’s Orthodox Church music either appeals or is something
you wish to explore, this collection is an excellent – and representative
– starting point. Better still, the music is well served by
James Whitbourn and the fourteen singers who make up his ensemble,
The Choir. They sing Tavener’s music very well indeed and they
are atmospherically yet clearly recorded. The ‘blurb’ on the
back of the CD describes this music as “hauntingly beautiful”
and I think that’s a pretty fair description, especially of
the gently prayerful setting of The Lord’s Prayer and As one
who has slept. There are quite a number of collections of Tavener’s
choral music in the CD catalogue but this is as good as any
I’ve heard.
John Quinn
The Choir/James Whitbourn
