Sounds Of The Temple

The Veil Of The Temple by John Tavener was commissioned as an All Night Vigil lasting many hours by the Temple Music Trust for performance in the the Temple Church by the Choir of the Temple Church, the Holst Singers and soprano Patricia Rozario under the direction of Stephen Layton. The entire overnight premiere performance was recorded in June 2003 and from those recordings the composer made this edited two and a half hour concert length version, released here as a double cd package. There are also instrumental contributions from organ and Indian harmonium, duduk, Tibetan horn, Tibetan Temple Bells and brass from the English Chamber Orchestra. The vast resources rarely play together, the piece is heavily segmented with repeated motives and sections coming round again and again but in different forms and combinations. The aim is an east meets west type project, with the east mainly represented by the orthodox church but also elements of sufism creeping into the texts set. The connection between the commissioning church and the Knights Templar and the Crusades is significant to the project. Tavener may leave himself wide open to charges of pretention and holy minimalism and this is obviously not a work for frequent casual listening. The sincerity can't be doubted though and in the right circumstances it can be extremely moving.