The Choir sings Sir John Tavener's hauntingly beautiful unaccompaniedchoral music in a stunning virtual reality restoration of the ancient Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople. Orthodox ikons enrich the visual tapestry, enhancing the full richness of Tavener's mystic inspiration.The power of the performances is overwhelming and the credit goes to James Whitbourn and his vocal ensemble The Choir that he created for the express purpose of television and DVD recordings for Opus Arte. The Choir sing Tavener's music with great understanding and sensitivity to the religious texts. This DVD captures every beauteous moment of Tavener's music with The Choir. Opus Arte, as in all their productions, never leave you second-guessing about the music with their investigative extra features that bring further insight upon the chosen subject.The ikon chooses you which, together with an illustrated booklet containing an in-depth article on the inspirational power of ikons as well as the vocal texts and an introduction by Tavener himself, round off this beautifully presented package. |
