Guy Johnston and the Britten Sinfonia continue their tour of John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil this week. The first performance was at the Hatfield House Music Festival, and continues with three further performances:
24 October – Cambridge Music Festival – Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge
28 & 29 October – Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom, Bayswater, London
John Tavener’s intensely beautiful The Protecting Veil is a piece inspired by Tavener’s vision of the Mother of God spreading out her veil to protect a besieged nation. The expressive and meditative solo cello sings, weeps, and soars with chant-like melodies over glowing and sustained string harmonies.
John Tavener often worshipped in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom in Bayswater – a sparkling neo-Byzantine gem from the 1880s, modelled on Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia.
Normally off limits to concerts, this atmospheric venue opens its doors for two special performances of Tavener’s orchestral masterpiece The Protecting Veil.
More information and tickets can be found at: