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", it is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours.Michael White, "A Time for Reflection", BBC Music Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 2 (December 2013): p. 29. It is based on text from a number of religions. It was commissioned by the Temple Church, in London, and received its world premiere performance there in June 2003.
Notable performances
After its premiere, The Veil of the Temple was not performed in the UK in its entirety for another 22 years. It was performed at Usher Hall to open the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival, conducted by Sofi Jeannin and sung by the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, the Monteverdi Choir and the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
The US premiere took place on 24 July 2004 at Avery Fisher Hall, conducted by Stephen Layton.
The work was premiered in Germany in 2007 by the Rundfunkchor Berlin, conducted by Simon Halsey.
Tavener also published a concert version, about two and a half hours long, which had its world premiere at the BBC Proms on 1 August 2004.
Structure The piece is split into eight cycles. The first seven follow the same structure, with each cycle being a higher key than the previous. For example, Cycles I to VII open with a soprano solo. 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.
Cycles I to VII use the following structure:
Title Section Sung by NotesMystical 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 VIIBeatitudes 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 VIIPsalm Solo Bass Not cycle VII
References
External links Article by composer on johntavener.com Discussion of this piece and Tavener by Stephen Layton Notes for CD of abridged concert version List of full and partial performances from the music publisher Wise Music Classical