Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

works. Among his best known works are '' The Lamb'' (1982), ''

The Protecting Veil ''The Protecting Veil'' is a late 20th-century classical composition for cello and strings by British composer John Tavener. It was on the short list of nominees for the 1992 Mercury Prize. Composition history Completed in 1988, the work was ...

'' (1988), and '' Song for Athene'' (1993). Tavener first came to prominence with his cantata '' The Whale'', premiered in 1968. Then aged 24, he was described by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' as "the musical discovery of the year", while ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' said he was "among the very best creative talents of his generation". During his career he became one of the best known and popular composers of his generation, most particularly for ''The Protecting Veil'', which as recorded by cellist Steven Isserlis became a best-selling album, and ''Song for Athene'' which was sung at the funeral of Princess Diana. ''The Lamb'' featured in the soundtrack for

Paolo Sorrentino Paolo Sorrentino (; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. His 2013 film ''The Great Beauty'' won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the Bafta Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In Italy he was honour ...

's film '' The Great Beauty''. Tavener was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...

in 2000 for his services to music and won an Ivor Novello Award. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Sarum College in 2001.

Early life and education

Tavener was born on 28 January 1944 in

Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...

, London. His parents ran a family building firm and his father was also an organist at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Frognal,

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...

.Ivan Moody
"Tavener, John"
Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2013 At the age of 12, Tavener was taken to Glyndebourne to hear Mozart's ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...

'', a work he loved for the rest of his life. That same year he heard Stravinsky's most recent work, '' Canticum Sacrum'', which he later described as "the piece that woke me up and made me want to be a composer". Tavener became a music scholar at

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgat ...

(where a fellow pupil was John Rutter). The school choir was often employed by the BBC in works requiring boys' voices, so Tavener gained choral experience singing in Mahler's Third Symphony and Orff's '' Carmina Burana''. He started to compose at Highgate, and also became a sufficiently proficient pianist to perform the second and third movements of Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto and, in 1961 with the

National Youth Orchestra A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchestras for young stud ...

, Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. He also became organist and choirmaster in 1961 at St John's Presbyterian Church, Kensington (now St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church), a post he held for 14 years. Tavener entered the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...

in 1962, where his tutors included Sir

Lennox Berkeley Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (12 May 190326 December 1989) was an English composer. Biography Berkeley was born on 12 May 1903 in Oxford, England, the younger child and only son of Aline Carla (1863–1935), daughter of Sir James Cha ...

. During his studies there he decided to give up the piano and devote himself to composition.

''The Whale'' and early operas

Tavener first came to prominence in 1968 with his dramatic cantata ''The Whale'', based on the Old Testament story of

Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' Ben (Hebrew), son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria ...

. It was premièred at the

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert in 1968—giv ...

's début concert, which was also the opening concert of the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The Q ...

. Tavener's younger brother, Roger, was then doing some building work on

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

's home and, gaining the musician's interest, persuaded

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

to have ''The Whale'' recorded by Apple Records and released in 1970. The following year Tavener began teaching at

Trinity College of Music Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

, London. Other works by Tavener released by Apple included his '' A Celtic Requiem'', which impressed

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

enough to persuade

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

to commission an opera from Tavener. The ultimate result, to a libretto by playwright Gerard McLarnon, was ''Thérèse'': when staged in 1979 the opera was thought too static to be a successful drama. Tavener had also been deeply affected by his brief 1974 marriage to the Greek dancer Victoria Maragopoulou. His chamber opera ''A Gentle Spirit'' (1977), with a libretto by McLarnon based on a story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, concerns a pawnbroker whose marriage fails to the extent that his wife commits suicide. It has been deemed "far superior to ''Thérèse'', with the internal drama more suited to the stage". Significantly, it also touched on

Russian Orthodoxy Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most C ...

, to which McLarnon had been a convert for several years.

Conversion to Orthodox Christianity

Tavener converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977. Orthodox theology and liturgical traditions became a major influence on his work. He was particularly drawn to its

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

, studying and setting to music the writings of

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

and completing a setting of the

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is the most celebrated divine liturgy in the Byzantine Rite. It is named after its core part, the anaphora attributed to Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople in the 5th century. History It ...

, the principal eucharistic liturgy of the Orthodox Church: this was Tavener's first directly Orthodox-inspired music.

Later career

William Blake - Songs of Innocence and Experience - The Lamb

Tavener's subsequent explorations of Russian and Greek culture resulted in ''Akhmatova Requiem'': this failed to enjoy success either at its Edinburgh Festival premiere in 1981, or at its

Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

' performance the following week where many of the audience left before it finished. Of more lasting success was Tavener's short unaccompanied four-part choral setting of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...

's poem "The Lamb", written one afternoon in 1982 for his nephew Simon's third birthday. This simple homophonic piece is usually performed as a

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

. Later prominent works include ''The Akathist of Thanksgiving'' of 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 The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

at the 1989 Proms; and ''Song for Athene'' (1993). The two choral works were settings of texts by Mother Thekla, a Russian Orthodox abbess who was Tavener's long-time spiritual adviser until her death in 2011. ''Song for Athene'' in particular gained worldwide exposure when performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Tavener's ''Fall and Resurrection'', first performed in 2000, used instruments such as ram's horn, Ney flute and

kaval The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The k ...

. It was dedicated to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

, with whom Tavener formed a lasting friendship. His work Ikon of Eros (2003) was commissioned for violinist Jorja Fleezanis, then concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra, with vocal soloists and the Minnesota Chorale and recorded at the Cathedral of St. Paul, conducted by Paul Goodwin. Also in 2003 Tavener composed the exceptionally large work '' The Veil of the Temple'' (which was premièred at the

Temple Church The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of J ...

, London), based on texts from a number of religions. Identified by Tavener as "the supreme achievement of my life", it is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours. ''Prayer of the Heart'', written for and performed by

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, was premiered in 2004. In 2007 Tavener composed ''The Beautiful Names'', a setting of the 99 names of God in the Muslim tradition, sung in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. It had been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left

Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Chu ...

to explore a number of other different religious traditions, including

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

, and became a follower of the Traditionalist philosopher Frithjof Schuon. In an interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', conducted by British music journalist Michael White, Tavener said: "I reached a point where everything I wrote was terribly austere and hidebound by the tonal system of the Orthodox Church, and I felt the need, in my music at least, to become more universalist: to take in other colors, other languages." The interviewer also reported at the time that he "hasn’t abandoned Orthodoxy. He remains devotedly Christian." Speaking on the

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

television programme ''Sacred Music'' in 2010, Tavener described himself as "essentially Orthodox". He reiterated both his desire to explore the musical traditions of other religions, and his adherence to the Orthodox Christian faith, on '' Start the Week'', recorded only days before his death and broadcast on 11 November 2013. In 2020, Sir

David Pountney Sir David Willoughby Pountney (born 10 September 1947) is a British-Polish theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works. He has directed over ...

, former artistic director of the

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...

, announced that Tavener's final opera, ''Krishna'' (which was completed in 2005 but had remained in manuscript form) would be staged by

Grange Park Opera Grange Park Opera is a professional opera company and charity whose base is West Horsley Place in Surrey, England. Founded in 1998, the company staged an annual opera festival at The Grange, in Hampshire and in 2016–7, built a new opera hou ...

in 2024. Pountney himself will be directing the production.

Personal life

In 1974 he married the Greek dancer Victoria Maragopoulou, but it only lasted eight months. In 1991 he married Maryanna Schaefer with whom he had three children, Theodora, Sofia and Orlando. He suffered from considerable health problems throughout his life. He had a stroke in his thirties, heart surgery and the removal of a tumour in his forties, and suffered two successive heart attacks which left him very frail. He was diagnosed with

Marfan syndrome Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. Those with the condition tend to be tall and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers, and toes. They also typically have exceptionally flexible joints a ...

in 1990. Lady Tavener broadcast a charity appeal on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

in October 2008 on behalf of the Marfan Trust. Tavener had an interest in classic cars, owning an

Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire is a British turbojet engine that was produced by Armstrong Siddeley in the 1950s. It was the ultimate development of work that had started as the Metrovick F.2 in 1940, evolving into an advanced axial flow de ...

, a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a

Jaguar XJ6 The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the t ...

and a Bentley Mulsanne Turbo.

Death

Tavener died, aged 69, on 12 November 2013 at his home in

Child Okeford Child Okeford (sometimes written Childe Okeford) is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England, east of the small town of Sturminster Newton in the North Dorset administrative district. Child Okeford lies downstream ...

, Dorset.

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...

(12 November 2013)
"Sir John Tavener: Composer dies aged 69"
Retrieved 12 November 2013. Among those in the music world who paid tribute were composers John Rutter and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, cellist Steven Isserlis, Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, oboist Nicholas Daniel, Roger Wright (controller of BBC Radio 3 and director of the Proms), and soprano Patricia Rozario. A tribute was also received from

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

. Tavener's funeral was held at

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

in Winchester on 28 November 2013. The service was conducted in the Orthodox rite and was presided over by Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira, representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the most senior Orthodox bishop in the UK. Circa 700 mourners attended.

Music

John Rutter describes Tavener as having the "very rare gift" of being able to "bring an audience to a deep silence." According to Steven Isserlis: "He had his own voice. He wasn't writing to be popular – he was writing the music he had to write."

Style and development

While Tavener's earliest music was influenced by

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

and

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century. His m ...

– often invoking the sound world of Stravinsky, in particular ''Canticum Sacrum'', and the ecstatic quality found in various works by Messiaen – his later music became more sparse, using wide registral space and was usually

diatonic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a ...

ally tonal. Tavener recognised

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

as "a kindred spirit" and shared with him a common religious tradition and a fondness for textural transparency.Michael White, "A Time for Reflection",

BBC Music Magazine ''BBC Music Magazine'' is a British monthly magazine that focuses primarily on classical music. History The first issue appeared in September 1992. BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC was the original owner and publisher togeth ...

, Vol. 22 No. 2 (December 2013): p. 29.

Career highlights

*1968 – '' The Whale'' premiered by the

and subsequently recorded on

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

label. *1971 – '' A Celtic Requiem'' recorded by Apple. *1973 – ''Thérèse'', the story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, commissioned by the Royal Opera, London. *1989 – premiere of ''

'' at the Proms in London. *2000 – premiere of ''Fall and Resurrection'' in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...

, London (4 January 2000). *2000 – received a knighthood in the Millennium Honours List. *2001 – composed the soundtrack of

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...

's short documentary ''

Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

''. *2003 – premiere of the all-night vigil ''The Veil of the Temple'' by the

Holst Singers The Holst Singers are an amateur choir based in London, England. The choir is named indirectly after the English composer Gustav Holst, taking its name from the Holst Room at St Paul's Girls' School, the venue for rehearsals during the choir's e ...

and the Choir of the Temple Church at the

, London. *2005 – premiere of ''Laila (Amu)'', Tavener's first dance collaboration, with Random Dance company and

Wayne McGregor Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of t ...

's choreography. *2006 – contributed ''Fragments of a Prayer'' to the

Alfonso Cuarón Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...

film ''

Children of Men ''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel ''The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredited ...

''. *2007 – premiere of ''The Beautiful Names'' by the

BBC Symphony Chorus The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras. Brief history Background In its early years, th ...

and

Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City o ...

. The work, sung in Arabic, is a setting of the 99 names of

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", a ...

found in the

Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...

. Awarded honorary degree by the University of Winchester. *2008 – world premiere of "the anthem" sung in St Paul's Cathedral in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. *March 2009 – The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia presents the world première of ''Tu ne sais pas'', a work for mezzo-soprano, timpani and strings. Katherine Pracht sung the texts, which are drawn from poems by French poet

Jean Biès Jean Biès (1933 – 11 January 2014) was a French philosopher and author. He is the recipient of the High Prize of the Society of French Poets (1970), Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor (1997), and a prolific modern proponent of the T ...

(one of the work's dedicatees) and from Islamic and Hindu sources. *2011 – Tavener's piece "Funeral Canticle" from the album ''Eternity's Sunrise'' recorded by the

Academy of Ancient Music The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a British period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after an 18th-century organisation of the same name (originally the Ac ...

was used multiple times in

Terrence Malick Terrence Frederick Malick (born November 30, 1943) is an American filmmaker. His films include ''Days of Heaven'' (1978), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay ...

's film '' The Tree of Life''. *April 2013 – world premiere of ''Tolstoy's Creed'' and ''Three Hymns of George Herbert'' as performed by The City Choir of Washington at the Washington National Cathedral. *7 July 2013 – world premiere of ''Love Duet from The Play of Krishna'', ''If Ye Love Me'' and ''The Death of Ivan Ilyich'' during an all-Tavener concert given as part of the

Manchester International Festival The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first tak ...

. *2013 – Tavener's piece ''The Lamb'' was included in the critically acclaimed soundtrack to

's film '' The Great Beauty'' (Italy's official selection for the 2013 Academy Awards), which subsequently won.

Works

Song of the Angel Nov 2, 1994. To Yehudi Menuhin and to Edna Michell, composed for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations. * Setting of the Credo (1961) * ''Genesis'' (1962) * ''Three Holy Sonnets of John Donne'' (1962; song cycle) * ''The Cappemakers'' (1964; one-act opera) * ''Cain and Abel'' (1965; cantata) * '' The Whale'' (1965–66; soloists, speaker, SATB choir, children's choir, orchestra) * '' In alium'' (1968) * '' A Celtic Requiem'' (1969; soprano solo, SATB choir, children's choir, ensemble) * ''In memoriam Igor Stravinsky'' (1971) * ''Responsorium in Memory of

Annon Lee Silver Annon Lee Silver (November 18, 1938 – July 28, 1971) was a Canadian lyric soprano singer. She made her opera debut at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1963 and had leading operatic roles throughout her career. Silver was a member of the Oper F ...

'' (1971) * ''Últimos ritos'' (1972) * ''Canciones españolas'' (1972) * ''Requiem for Father Malachy'' (1973) * ''Thérèse'' (1973–76; opera) * ''Canticle of the Mother of God'' (1976) * ''Liturgy of St John Chrysostom'' (1977) * ''A Gentle Spirit'' (1977; chamber opera) * ''Kyklike Kinesis'' (1977) * ''The Immurement of Antigone'' (1978) * ''Palintropos'' (1978) * ''Akhmatova: Requiem'' (1979–80) * ''Sappho: Lyrical Fragments'' (1980; song cycle) * ''Funeral Ikos'' (1981) * ''The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete'' (1981) * ''Trisagion'' (1981; brass ensemble) * ''Mandelion'' (1981; organ) * ''Towards the Son'' (1982) * ''To a Child Dancing in the Wind'' (1983) * ''Ikon of Light'' (1984; choir, string trio) * ''Vigil Service'' (1984) * ''Sixteen Haiku of Seferis'' (1984) * ''A Mini Song Cycle for Gina'' (1984) * '' The Lamb'' (1984) * ''Love bade me welcome'' (1985)Andrew Stewart, notes to Signum Records CD SIGCD244 *

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

and

Nunc dimittis The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgat ...

(1986) * ''Eis thanaton'' (1986; cantata) * ''Akathist of Thanksgiving'' (1986–87) * ''

'' (1987; cello, strings)''The Telegraph'': John Tavener: five top pieces
(accessed 14 November 2013) * ''The Tyger'' (1987) * ''Resurrection'' (1989) * ''The Hidden Treasure'' (1989) *

Psalm 121 Psalm 121 is the 121st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint an ...

(1989) * '' Thunder Entered Her'' (1990; SATB choir, handbells and organ) * ''The Repentant Thief'' (1990; clarinet, strings) * ''Mary of Egypt'' (opera; 1991) * ''The Last Sleep of the Virgin'' (1991) * ''The Apocalypse'' (1993) * '' Song for Athene'' (1993; SATB choir) * ''Theophany'' (1993; orchestra) * ''Diodia'' (1997; orchestra) * ''Prayer for the healing of the sick'' (1998) * ''A New Beginning'' (1999) * ''Fall and Resurrection'' (2000) * ''Lamentations and Praises'' (2001; 12 male voices, string quartet, flute, bass trombone, percussion) * ''

Mother and Child ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

'' (2002) * ''Elizabeth Full Of Grace'' (2002) * '' The Veil of the Temple'' (2003; soprano, SATB choir, boys' choir, ensemble) * ''Schuon Lieder'' (2003; song cycle for soprano, ensemble) * ''Laila'' (2004; music for dance; soprano, tenor, orchestra)''The Guardian'': Pump it up John
(accessed 14 November 2013) * ''Krishna'' (2005; unproduced opera) * ''Sollemnitas in Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis'' (2006; mass) * ''The Beautiful Names'' (2007) * ''Requiem'' (2008; cello, soloists, chorus, orchestra) * ''Towards Silence'' (2009; 4 string quartets, Tibetan temple bowl) * ''They are all gone into the world of light'' (2011) * ''The Death of Ivan Ilyich'' (2012; monodrama) * ''Missa Wellensis'' (2013; choir)

Selected recordings

* ''The Whale'', Apple Records * ''The Protecting Veil'', Virgin 561849-2 * ''Schuon Lieder'', Black Box BBM1101 * ''The Veil of the Temple'', RCA 82876661542 * ''Songs of the Sky'', Signum Records SIGCD149 * "Tavener: Choral Works," Hyperion CDA67475 * ''Missa Wellensis'', Signum Records SIGCD442 * ''Palintropos'', A Flock Ascending AFACD001