Tavener: God is With Us (A Christmas Proclamation)

“Gutsy singing from the Winchester Choir, the measured simplicity of Solveig Kringelborn, and David Dunnett's vivacious organ accompaniments make David Hill's survey of mid '80s to early '90s Tavener a persuasive proposition.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2009 ****

“Excellent accounts of some of the best of Tavener's Orthodox/Byzantine-influenced works, full of mystery and serene faith.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2009 ****

“John Tavener's choral music is inspired by his Orthodox faith, and on this disc the choir…. eloquently communicate the music's timeless spirituality…[and] the composer's richly coloured blend of Eastern and Western liturgical traditions” The Telegraph

“The Christmas Proclamation, God is with Us, is the striking first item in this collection of John Tavener's shorter choral pieces. It was inspired, like so many of Tavener's works, by Greek Orthodox liturgy, rising in a thrilling crescendo and punctuated at the end by fortissimo organ chords. The Song for Athene, well-remembered from the funeral, of Princess Diana, is here presented as an anthem rather than a processional, with the other works, including most of the favourite Tavener items, also superbly sung and atmospherically recorded” Edward Greenfield, The Guardian, December 8, 2000

“If John Tavener's reputation were to rest solely on his unaccompanied choral music and nothing else, then his stature as one of the most striking and original composers working today would be just as high. Much of Tavener's creativity is founded on the traditions of his Orthodox faith and of Orthodox chant, and yet curiously, intentionally or unintentionally, he has also, through works such as those presented here, extended the tradition of English choral music. Through their popularity The Lamb, The Tiger and Songfor Athene have become immovably imbedded in our choral tradition, but one need only listen to the splendid Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, for instance, to find a unique symbiosis of Eastern and Western traditions at work.
Many of the works presented on this CD have enjoyed wide circulation on numerous Taveneronly and compilation discs, but the performances here from the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, under the direction of Christopher Robinson, have much to recommend them and the super-budget price makes this issue especially desirable for those seeking a survey of Tavener's choral music for the first time.
Svyati for solo cello and choir, with echoes of The Protecting Veil, opens a window on Tavener's more overtly Eastern/ Orthodox-inspired music. Tim Hugh's serenely beautiful account of the solo cello part is a winner from beginning to end. The recording, made in St John's College Chapel, is resplendently atmospheric.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Compelling” Classic CD

“The Lamb alone is worth the price of this disc” Fanfare

“'Hail, gladdening light'...[is] given with confidence, firm tuning, clear diction and phrasing and even a little drama, the excellent of the performances masking just how difficult it can be to make this sort of music work well.” International Record Review, March 2012

“An auspicious start to what should prove a major collection of choral recordings.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2012