Scottish Ensemble - Tavener: tears of the Angels - Bradford Telegraph

John Tavener is, together with Peter Maxwell Davis, probably the best known contemporary composer working in Britain today. Don't be put off by the word contemporary, Tavener's music is imbued neither with dissonance of 12 tone music, nor the repetition of minimalism. Instead it is a truly ethereal experience of great beauty. Always restrained, devoid of astringency, his work is genuinely original in both concept and execution.

The disc contains 3 new works. the first "Depart in Peace" is a sumptuously gorgeous composition with soprano Patricia Rozario sounding darkly rich in a very unusual setting of the Nunc Dimittis, but sung in Greek. She is accompanied by solo violin and strings and is dedicated to the suffering people of the Balkans. It is a very moving composition with an Eastern feel to it. Clio Gould, the solo violinist is perfectly at one with the uplifting quality of the music as is her band the BT Scottish Ensemble. All in all a beautiful disc I urge you to try.