The Protecting Veil is a late 20th-century classical composition for cello and strings by British composer John Tavener. It was shortlisted for the 1992 Mercury Prize.
Completed in 1988, the work was begun in response to a request from cellist Steven Isserlis for a short (10-minute) piece. [1] It soon developed into a more substantial work, and was subsequently commissioned by the BBC for the 1989 Proms season. Like many of Tavener's compositions, this work reflects the composer's Orthodox religious faith. The inspiration for the piece comes from the Orthodox feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, which commemorates the apparition of Mary the Theotokos in the early 10th century at the Blachernae Palace church in Constantinople.
The premiere took place at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall on 4 September 1989, with soloist Steven Isserlis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Oliver Knussen. [2]
It was shortlisted for the 1992 Mercury Prize, one of only a tiny handful of classical pieces nominated, in the award’s inaugural year. [3]
The composition, which has a performance time of approximately 45 minutes, is divided into eight sections, each of which is based on an icon in the life of the Virgin Mary: [4]
The Protecting Veil was the subject of BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music programme in June 2008. [5]
Sir John Kenneth Tavener 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 for Athene (1993).
Steven John Isserlis is a British cellist. An acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, educator, writer and broadcaster, he is widely regarded as one of the leading musicians of his generation. He is also noted for his diverse repertoire and distinctive sound which is deployed with his use of gut strings.
Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: The Tempest (2004), Violin Concerto (2005), Tevot (2007), In Seven Days (2008), and Polaris (2010).
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Robert Saxton is a British composer.
This is a summary of 1989 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
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Holy minimalism, mystic minimalism, spiritual minimalism, or sacred minimalism are terms, sometimes pejorative, used to describe the musical works of a number of late-twentieth-century composers of Western classical music. The compositions are distinguished by a minimalist compositional aesthetic and a distinctly religious or mystical subject focus.
"Song for Athene" is a musical composition by British composer John Tavener with lyrics by Mother Thekla, an Orthodox nun, which is intended to be sung a cappella by a four-part choir. It is Tavener's best known work, having been performed by the Westminster Abbey Choir conducted by Martin Neary at the funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 6 September 1997 as her cortège departed from Westminster Abbey.
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Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks is a 1998 album by the English Sinfonia conducted by Bramwell Tovey. The work, by Michael Nyman, is paired with The Protecting Veil by John Tavener featuring Josephine Knight on the cello. The photography and liner notes indicate that Nyman was directly involved in the album, the premiere recording of the work, while Tavener, whose piece, was eleven years old at the time of the recording, has been recorded more than once, is represented by a headshot and stock commentary from Richard Steinetz.
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Falling in the Fire is a cello concerto by the British composer Charlotte Bray. The work was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for The Proms. Its world premiere was performed by the cellist Guy Johnston and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo at the Royal Albert Hall on 14 August 2016. The piece was inspired by the destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra by ISIL in August 2015. Falling in the Fire is composed in a single movement and has a duration of approximately 21 minutes.
The Veil of the Temple is a piece of choral music by British composer Sir John Tavener. 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. It is based on text from a number of religions, and received its world premiere performance at the Temple Church, London in June 2003.
Grace-Evangeline Mason is a British composer of contemporary classical music.