John Tavener

One of Tavener's most famous works The Protecting Veil for solo cello and string orchestra was commissioned by the BBC for the 1989 series of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. The first performance was given in September 1989at the Royal Albert Hall London by Steven Isserlis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Knussen.Study Score. Duration c. 42mins.

This work for string ensemble was commissioned by the BT Scottish Ensemble and was first performed in June 1996 at the Hellenic Centre London by the BT Scottish Ensemble with Clio Gould (violin).Quoting Tavener: Tears ofthe Angels should be played at the extreme breaking point of 'tenderness'. In other words totally beyond our compassion and beyond our comprehension. Wrapped in a depth of inner silence of which we have no idea a stateof being not an emotion a tender light piercing the agonising darkness of the world. Also a humility of which we have no idea because it is not rooted in a hypocritcal or contrived deprecation of self but in the blindingvision of God Himself.Since we are 'human' and not angels the music can only be 'imagined' by us. All th strings are muted throughout except for the part marked solo violin. The solo violin is 'the chief among theAngels' and the whole piece must sound 'serene' and 'seemless'.Duration c. 17mins.

For solo Cello Timpani and Strings.Popule Meus was commissioned through the Magnum Opus project: Kathryn Gould founding patron and commissioner and Meet the Composer project manager.It was first performed on 6thFebruary 2010 by Yuri Hooker (cello) and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Micklethwate. Composer's Notes 'Popule Meus is a meditation on the Judaic and Christian text ?O my People whathave I done to you?? but itis also a Universalist contemplation of the wholesale rejection of God by modern man. However much manrejects God he cannot escape Him and indeed he is condemned to the supernatural by his deiformnature. InHindu terms he is the Absolute Ayam Atma Brahma (The Self is the Absolute).In this work the solo cello is the All-Compassionate One while the timpani represent man in his vain andpointless rejection. Although the solocello and strings and the timpani share the same material (four ideas aregradually revealed and they revolve four times during the piece) the timpani music is violent and becomesincreasingly frenzied and contracted while thecello and strings remain still and serene.So even in winning the Darkness loses and even in losing the Light wins. Passion Resurrection andRedemption; or in Hindu terms Atma (The Absolute) alone is real Maya (The Relative) ismerely illusion.'

Written for viol consort.This work was commissioned by Concordia. First performance by Concordia on 17 July 2004 at the Cheltenham International Festival of Music.