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", [1] [2] it is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours. [3] It is based on text from a number of religions, and received its world premiere performance at the Temple Church, London in June 2003. [4]
The piece is split into eight cycles. The first seven follow the same structure, with each cycle being a higher key than the previous. [4] For example, Cycles I to VII open with a soprano solo. [5] This is then followed by a setting of the kyrie in either English or the original Greek. Successive cycles add additional musical complexity and words to each movement, with the result that cycle I takes about 20 minutes to perform, but cycle VII takes 1.5 hours. [6]
Cycles I to VII use the following structure: [5]
Title | Section | Sung by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Mystical Love Song of the Sufis | Solo soprano | ||
Primordial Call | Orchestra | ||
God's Creation | Kyrie 1 | Choir | |
Tohu, Vohu, Tahem. Logos | Choir, with soloists | ||
In the beginning | Solo bass | ||
Kyrie 2 | Choir | ||
You mantle yourself in light. | Choir | ||
Kyrie 3 | Choir | ||
Outside the Gates of Paradise | O Blessed Paradise | Choir, with soloists | |
Kyrie 4 | Choir | ||
What God is. | Choir | ||
Kyrie 5 | Choir | ||
Our Father | Lords Prayer | Choir | |
Kyrie 6 | Choir | ||
Holy Mary | O Mary Theotokos. | Choir | |
Hail, O Mother of God! | Choir | ||
Here I stand now praying. | Choir | ||
In thee rejoiceth. | Choir | Cycles V to VII only | |
Awed by the beauty | Choir | Cycles V to VII only | |
Alleelouia 1 | Choir | Cycles V to VII only | |
Kyrie 7 | Choir | ||
Alleluia. Theos Erastos | Alleelouia 2 | Choir | |
Kyrie 8 | Basses | ||
Kyrie 9 | Choir | ||
Gospel of St John | Gospel of John | Solo Bass | |
Alleelouia 3 | Choir | ||
Thrice-Holy Hymn - Resurrection | Te re rem. | Choir | Not cycle VII |
Agios ischyros. | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
Have mercy on me, O God. | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
Agios Athanatos 1 | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
In Thy kingdom remember us, O Lord. | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
Beatitudes of St. Isaac the Syrian | The Beatitudes | single voice part | Not cycle VII |
Ágiós Athánatos 2 | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
Christos anestee | Choir | Not cycle VII | |
Psalm | Solo Bass | Not cycle VII |
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