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Label:
   Decca Classics - http://www.deccaclassics.com/
Serial:
   470 636-2
Title:
   Tavener: The John Tavener Collection
Description:
   Tavener: The John Tavener Collection

English Chamber Orchestra
Temple Church Choir
Holst Singers
Natalie Clein
Stephen Layton
Details:
   1. God is With Us (A Christmas Proclamation)
2. Song for Athene (Alleluia. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest)
3. Funeral Ikos
4. A Hymn to the Mother of God
5. William Blake/The Tyger
6. Threnos
7. William Blake/The Lamb
8. Mother Thekla Today the Virgin
9. A Christmas Round
10. “What God is we do not know” from The Veil of the Temple (World Premiere recording)
11. Elizabeth Full of Grace (World Premiere recording)
12. “The Dormition of the Mother of God” from The Protecting Veil
13. The Protecting Veil

Total time: 64:58
Genre:
   Classical - Vocal
Content:
   Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
   Hybrid
Recording type:
   DSD
Recording info:
   Recorded at Temple Church, London, 12, 13 & 18–20 July, 2003
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Related titles: 4
 
Reviews:
Better than expected (review from amazon.co.uk)
I'm not normally a fan of Tavener's brand of holy minimalism as, over long periods, it tends to become melismatic monotony. However, this disc features generally short choral and cello concertante pieces, none more than 12 minutes. Individually, they show the usual Tavener tricks, - a twist of dissonance here and there to make you think he's actually doing something clever, and it can become irritating. But the surprise here was that, on second listen, they cumulatively "clicked" for me and after track 5 I started to enter a yoga nidra-like state of relaxation. Very surprising, very pleasant.

The performances are as good as they could be and the (DSD) recording generally very good except in Tavener's "hit" Song for Athena, which the recording only just copes with and which features an organ which sounds like nothing more than an irritating rumble. Things improve after that and the pieces for cello and strings sound very good indeed, with individual instruments easily and naturally picked up and presented. The surround rear channels aren't emphatic but do add an extra sense of space very well.