John Tavener
Background information
Birth name	John Tavener
Born	28 January 1944 Wembley, London, England
Genre(s)	Classical music; choral music
Occupation(s)	Composer
Years active	1968–present
Label(s)	ChesterNovello

John Tavener should not be confused with the sixteenth-century composer John Taverner.

Sir John Tavener (born 28 January 1944) is a British composer. Image File history File links John_Tavener. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Wembley, until 1965 a borough in its own right, forms the northern part of the London Borough of Brent. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article discusses classical music in the first sense (see below). ... This article is about choirs, musical ensembles containing singers. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Chester Music is a London-based printed music publisher, specializing in classical and educational music of the 20th and 21st centuries. ... John Taverner (around 1490 – October 18, 1545) is regarded as the most important English composer of his era. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Biography

Tavener was born on 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London, in England. He attended Highgate School (where a fellow pupil was John Rutter) and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where his tutors included Sir Lennox Berkeley. He first came to prominence in 1968 with his dramatic cantata The Whale, based on the Old Testament story of Jonah. It was premièred at the London Sinfonietta's début concert and later recorded by Apple Records. Other works released by Apple included his Celtic Requiem. January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Wembley, until 1965 a borough in its own right, forms the northern part of the London Borough of Brent. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... Highgate School is an old and prestigious English public school in Highgate, North London. ... John Rutter (born September 24, 1945) is an English composer, choral conductor, editor, arranger and record producer. ... The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) is a constituent college of the University of London, and is one of the leading music institutions in the world. ... Sir Lennox Berkeley (May 12, 1903 - December 26, 1989) was a British composer. ... See also: 1967 in music, other events of 1968, 1969 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. ... The Whale is a dramatic cantata by the English composer John Tavener. ... In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Jonah is the fifth book in a series of books called the Minor Prophets (itself a subsection of the Nevi’im or Prophets). ... The London Sinfonietta is a British chamber orchestra based in London. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ...

In 1977 Tavener joined the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox theology and Orthodox liturgical traditions became a major influence on his work. He was particularly drawn to its mysticism, studying and setting to music the writings of Church Fathers such as St John Chrysostom. This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mustikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (musteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is one... John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ...

One of Tavener's most popular and frequently performed works is his short unaccompanied four-part choral setting of William Blake's The Lamb, written on his nephew's third birthday one afternoon in 1985. This simple, homophonic piece is usually performed as a Christmas carol. More important, however, were his explorations of Russian and Greek culture, as shown in "Akhmatova Requiem" and "Sixteen Haiku of Seferis". Later prominent works include The Akathist of Thanksgiving (1987, written in celebration of the millennium of the Russian Orthodox Church); The Protecting Veil (first performed by cellist Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra at the 1989 Proms); and Song For Athene (1993, memorably performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997). Following Diana's death he also composed and dedicated to her memory the piece Eternity's Sunrise, based on poetry by William Blake. William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. ... Blakes illustration of The Lamb The Lamb is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. ... In music, the word texture is often used in a rather vague way in reference to the overall sound of a piece of music. ... This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. ... Alternate meaning: Cello web browser A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) is a stringed instrument and part of the violin family. ... Steven John Isserlis (born 19 December 1958, London) is one of the most prominent current British cellists. ... The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... A Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall, 2004. ... Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances;[2] née Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. ...

It has been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left Orthodox Christianity^[1] to explore a number of other different religious traditions, including Hinduism and Islam, and became a follower of the mystic philosopher Frithjof Schuon. While he has in recent years incorporated elements of non-Western music into his compositions, Tavener remains an Orthodox Christian though his brother is a Sufi^[2]. In 2003 he composed the exceptionally large work The Veil of the Temple, based on texts from a number of religions. It is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours. Hinduism (known as in some modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ...

While Tavener's early music was influenced by Igor Stravinsky, often invoking the sound world of the Requiem Canticles and A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer, his recent music is more sparse, uses wide registral space and is usually diatonically tonal. Some commentators see a similarity with the works of Arvo Pärt, from their common religious tradition to the technical details of phrase lengths, diatonicism and colouristic percussion effects, though the similarities between their outputs are quite superficial. Olivier Messiaen has also been suggested as a strong influence on his earlier work. Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... In music, a register is the relative height or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments. ... In Music theory, the diatonic major scale (also known as the Guido scale), from the Greek diatonikos or to stretch out, is a fundamental building block of the European-influenced musical tradition. ... Tonality is a system of writing music according to certain hierarchical pitch relationships around a key center or tonic. ... Arvo Pärt (born September 11, 1935 in Paide), (IPA: ˈɑr̺vÉ” ˈpær̺t) is an Estonian composer, often identified with the school of minimalism and more specifically, that of mystic minimalism or sacred minimalism. He is considered a pioneer of this style, along with contemporaries Henryk Górecki... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Olivier Messiaen It has been suggested that List of students of Olivier Messiaen be merged into this article or section. ...

In 2000 John Tavener was knighted for his services to music. The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ...

Tavener has Marfan Syndrome, which accounts for his gaunt facial features and exceedingly tall, thin build. Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder of the connective tissue characterized by disproportionately long limbs, long thin fingers, a relatively tall stature, and a predisposition to cardiovascular abnormalities, specifically those affecting the heart valves and aorta. ...

Career highlights

• 1968 - The Whale premiered by the London Sinfonietta and subsequently recorded on The Beatles’s Apple label.
• 1973 - Thérèse, the story of Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux, commissioned by the Royal Opera, London.
• 1989 - premiere of The Protecting Veil at the Proms in London.
• 2000 - receives a knighthood in Millennium Honours List.
• 2003 - premiere of the all-night vigil The Veil of the Temple at Temple Church.
• 2005 - premiere of Laila (Amu), Tavener’s first dance collaboration, with Random Dance company and Wayne McGregor's choreography.
• 2006 - contributes Fragments of a Prayer to the Alfonso Cuarón film, Children of Men
• 2007 - premiere of The Beautiful Names by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra at Westminster Cathedral. The work is a setting of the 99 names of Allah found in the Qur'an and sung in Arabic,

The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House, home of the Royal Opera The Royal Opera is London and the United Kingdoms most famous and most wealthy opera company. ... The Temple Church. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Children of Men is a 2006 dystopian science fiction film loosely adapted from P.D. James 1992 novel The Children of Men. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

Key works

• The Whale (1966; soloists, speaker, SATB choir, children's choir, orchestra)
• The Protecting Veil (1988; cello, strings)
• Song for Athene (1993; SATB choir)
• The Veil of the Temple (2002; soprano, SATB choir, boys' choir, ensemble)
• Schuon Lieder (2003; soprano, ensemble)
• Laila (Amu) (2004; soprano, tenor, orchestra)

Sound files

See also: 1967 in music, other events of 1968, 1969 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. ... Image File history File links John_Tavener_Section_A.ogg‎ Section A by John Tavener Source = In Alium Author = John Tavener This sample is used to as an example of John Taveners composition In Alium as well as to illustrate songs typical of their style during this period. ... See also: other events of 1985 Musical groups established in 1985 Record labels established in 1985 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny... Image File history File links John_Tavener_The_Lamb. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 1990s in music. ... Image File history File links John_Tavener_Song_for_Athene. ... See also: 1996 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1996 Record labels established in 1996 // January 8 - Madonnas stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer. ... Image File history File links John_Tavener_Innocence. ...

Selected recordings

• The Protecting Veil - Virgin 561849-2
• Schuon Lieder - Black Box BBM1101
• The Veil of the Temple - RCA 82876661542

Notes

Further reading

• Stewart, Michael (2000). John Tavener Talks to Michael Stewart about the Recent Festival Ikons of Light. Image and Music. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.

2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• John Tavener homepage at ChesterNovello
• John Tavener at Classical Net
• John Tavener – a fansite by Simon Crutchley