John Tavener

The Profile

John Tavener (born near London, 1944 – died 2013) was an English composer best known for religiously inspired choral and orchestral works, including The Protecting Veil and Song for Athene.

Born in 1944 near London; converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977; died in 2013. His music is largely religious in inspiration and is often compared to Arvo Pärt.

John Tavener (born near London in 1944) is presented as a composer whose work is almost entirely religious in inspiration. The Protecting Veil is described as long and occasionally monotonous, while The Last Sleep of the Virgin and several choral pieces show more variety and can be moving. The reviewer compares Tavener to Arvo Pärt and states a personal preference for Pärt.