''The Protecting Veil'' is a
late 20th-century classical composition for
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...
and
strings by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
composer John Tavener
Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious works. Among his best known works are '' The Lamb'' (1982), ''The Protecting Veil'' (1988), and '' Song ...
. It was on the short list of nominees for the 1992
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
.
Composition history
Completed in 1988, the work was begun in response to a request from cellist
Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis (born 19 December 1958) is a British cellist. He has led a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author and broadcaster. Acclaimed for his profound musicianship, he is also noted for his diverse reper ...
for a short (10-minute) piece. It soon developed into a more substantial work, and was subsequently commissioned by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. Like many of Tavener's compositions, this work reflects the composer's
religious faith. The inspiration for the piece comes from the
The composition, which has a performance time of approximately 45 minutes, is divided into eight sections, each of which is based on an
:
#''The Protecting Veil''
#''The Nativity of the Mother of God''
#''The Annunciation''
#''The Incarnation''
#''The Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross''
#''The Resurrection''
#''The Dormition''
#''The Protecting Veil''
''The Protecting Veil'' was the subject of
's ''Discovering Music'' programme in June 2008.