Tavener conducts Tavener

Sing as though you are in a state of grace: you won't know what that's like, but it's lovely. (John Tavener, 1990)

In 1988, as Glasgow prepared for its year as European Capital of Culture, Cappella Nova was offered one of the city's major arts commissions; without hesitation, we told them that this must go to John Tavener. Although we share his name and Alan is his third cousin, we had never met, so our first contact was to be purely professional. We went to London to ask Tavener if he would write a work of about 45 minutes' duration. He listened to our proposal with characteristic courtesy and then announced, firmly, that the only piece he wanted to compose at that time would be three hours long, require numerous soloists, seven groups of singers and instrumentalists and a large professional chorus, and be called Resurrection. He then told his dumbfounded new-found relatives that he would gladly write this work for the modest fee offered by the City of Glasgow. Moved and excited by John's vision but downcast at the prospect of finding funds for the performance, we returned home, only to be given the incredible news that the resources would be found to premiere what was at that time the composer's magnum opus.

There were more obstacles to overcome, not least health and safety regulations in Glasgow Cathedral, which prevented the placing high in the clerestory of the singers for the 'Paradise choir' that opens and closes Resurrection. Instead, it was pre-recorded by Philip Hobbs (producer of this album), who for the actual performance then placed speakers on high to achieve the desired effect. John came to the recording sessions for the 'Paradise choir' in 1990, when he focused the singers' efforts with such memorable encouragements as 'Imagine that you are Adam and Eve tip-toeing through Paradise'.

The obvious place to start with this tribute recording was, therefore, to re-record those choruses to bookend our very personal sequence of works: some written for us or for other family members, and some among his last choral inspirations, many of them recorded here for the first time.

Resurrection gave birth to Ikon of the Nativity. At John's request, we had commissioned the Russian artist Kirill Sokolov to paint a large Ikon of the Resurrection to hang in Glasgow Cathedral for the premiere. This had thereafter to be stored in our hall, where it would surprise guests as they came out of the bathroom; so we were delighted when Kirill told us that John would like to give it to his fiancée, Maryanna, as a wedding present. Even such an inconvenient company asset had to have some kind of formal send-off, so Cappella Nova's board of directors asked John if he would compose a brief Christmas work in exchange. John asked how many singers would be on stage: the answer was 4.2.2.3, which is why Ikon of the Nativity blossoms into 11 parts in the central section. The piece was published together with an item also heard here, O, do not move, as the first of Two Ikons of the Nativity.