Tavener
Ikon of Light 41'
Requiem Fragments c25'
BBC commission: world premiere
Carolyn Sampson soprano
Heath Quartet
Tallis Scholars
Peter Phillips conductor
There will be no interval
Spiritual in a secular age, combining silence and sound, simplicity and radiance, John Tavener captured the public imagination like few other composers.
The other-worldly atmosphere of a Late Night Prom frames a musical meditation by the English composer, who would have celebrated his 70th birthday this year, as we approach the exact anniversary of Britain's declaration of the First World War 100 years ago, at 11.00pm.
The Tallis Scholars and conductor Peter Phillips are joined by the Heath Quartet to perform two works written especially for them, including the heartbreakingly prescient Requiem Fragments, composed shortly before Tavener's death.