British composer John Tavener (born 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London, die… Read Full Bio ↴British composer John Tavener (born 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London, died 12 November 2013 in Dorset) was a direct descendant of the sixteenth century composer John Taverner. 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. The following year he began teaching at Trinity College of Music, London. Other works released by Apple included his Celtic Requiem. In 1977, he 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.
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 for his nephew, Simon, on his third birthday one afternoon in 1982. 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.
It has been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left Orthodox Christianity 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 in recent years incorporated elements of non-Western music into his compositions, Tavener remained an Orthodox Christian though his brother, Roger, tended towards Sufi. 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. The 2004 premier of his piece 'Prayer of the Heart' written for and performed by Björk, was featured on CD and incorporated as the soundtrack to Jake Lever's powerful installation 'Centre + Circumference' (2008, Wallspace, All Hallows on the Wall, City of London).
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.
Tavener suffered from the hereditary Marfan Syndrome for much of his adult life, and died peacefully at his home in Dorset on 12 November 2013.
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 for his nephew, Simon, on his third birthday one afternoon in 1982. 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.
It has been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left Orthodox Christianity 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 in recent years incorporated elements of non-Western music into his compositions, Tavener remained an Orthodox Christian though his brother, Roger, tended towards Sufi. 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. The 2004 premier of his piece 'Prayer of the Heart' written for and performed by Björk, was featured on CD and incorporated as the soundtrack to Jake Lever's powerful installation 'Centre + Circumference' (2008, Wallspace, All Hallows on the Wall, City of London).
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.
Tavener suffered from the hereditary Marfan Syndrome for much of his adult life, and died peacefully at his home in Dorset on 12 November 2013.
Mother And Child
John Tavener Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Mother And Child' by these artists:
Barbra Streisand For a little face, that's the biggest yawn Look at teddy…
Bárbra Streisand [Mother:] For a little face, that's the biggest yawn Look at…
D.Sylvian Shadows form knights and pawns Upon the squares Blood is d…
David Sylvian Shadows form knights and pawns Upon the squares Blood is dra…
Dezarie Yehhh, hey, hey Yehhh, hey, hey Yehhh... Worthwhile the…
Maddy Prior Oh, why do you laugh so loud? said the mother…
We have lyrics for these tracks by John Tavener:
A Hymn to the Mother of God Mother of God, here I stand, now praying before this…
Funeral Canticle Why these bitter words of the dying, o brethren, Which they…
Funeral Ikos Why these bitter words of the dying, o brethren, which they…
Hymn to the Mother of God Mother of God, here I stand, now praying before this…
Mother of God Mother of God, here I stand, now praying before this…
Mother Of God Here I Stand Mother of God, here I stand now praying, Before this icon…
Song for Athene Alleluia Alleluia May flights of angels sing thee to thy res…
The Lamb Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Gave…
The Lament of the Mother of God Mother of God, here I stand, now praying before this…
The Nativity of the Mother of God Mother of God, here I stand, now praying before this…
The Tyger Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright In the forests of the night, Wh…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@henridinossauro2
Enamoured of its gaze
The mother's gaze in turn
Contrived a single beam of light
Along which love may move.
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
Through seeing, through touch, through hearing the newborn heart
Conduits of being join.
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
So is the image of heaven within
Started into life.
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
As in the first adoration
Another consciousness has come to praise
The single theophanic light
That threads all entrants here
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
This paradise where all is formed of love
As flame to flame is lit
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
ATMA, ATMA, ATMA, ATMA, ATMA
Hail Maria!
Hail Sophia!
Hail Maria!
@lars526
***** Well fuckedy fucking fuck-a-dew.
There most definitely is a difference in the intellectual capacity and sophistication of music like this and music like One Direction.
One Direction isn't so much musical artistry as it is a gimmick, a marketing product. They're recognized for their celebrity status, not their musical genius, so the fact that many brilliant artists fly under the radar while these degenerates get more fame and fortune than any human is really worth genuinely pisses me off.
Most modern pop-music literally requires a minuscule attention span, and that's not my opinion. It's designed for instant gratification....the music itself is even, in most cases, digitally engineered.
So fuck One Direction, and fuck your worthless MTV bullshit special snowflake pop-culture generation.
@mikestratis2733
Elevated my soul to the precipice of the heavens. God rest the soul of Sir John. May his memory be eternal.
@robertoa.larranagad.606
I just love when the choir sings "Hail Maria! Hail Sophia"... It's quite simple but at the same time I find it very moving. <3
@FolkBoyify
This has to be the most important song in my life right now ☦️ John Tavener truly was a talented man
@vickyrourke2835
God Bless your soul there in heaven fore your music John Tavener✝️⛪
@imrtsrn
Such a great and mystic music. It can not belong earth 🌍... It must be belong another world.
@mikestratis2733
God rest his soul. May his memory be eternal.
@FolkBoyify
Amen. I've never known that there was an Orthodox composer, but this man, although reposed, is very beautiful.
@juliemdavis1391
My favourite composer .
@FolkBoyify
God bless this man’s soul. ☦️
@musictomeltto1353
The best thing I’ve heard from him. The refrain (Hail Maria, hail Sofia) is so beautiful that it hurts.