SONG FOR ATHENE

John Tavener’s Choral Masterpiece

This week’s Choral Masterpiece became well-known and well-loved after it was sung at the funeral for Princess Diana. With words taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and from Mother Thecla, an orthodox nun, combined with John Tavener’s droning, chant-like music, the piece has a floating, peaceful quality that is the perfect antidote to 21st-century hustle. You can hear the work performed live June 21 at 3 PM at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 6306 Roe Avenue when Thin Air Productions presents Luminous Gems: A Glimpse at Five Centuries of English Music. The conductor of the the free concert, Stephanie Henry, has these thoughts about Song for Athene.

“I heard this piece for the first time in 1997 while watching Diana Spencer’s funeral and was transfixed. In a good acoustic, the wide voicings fill the space and the simplicity of construct combined with the text (although on the TV broadcast the text was impossible to discern) “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” The piece expands from 3 voices to 12-voices at its climax. Tavener wrote “Song of Athene” in memory of Athene Hariades, a friend who died tragically in 1993. The text is taken from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and the Orthodox Funeral Service. Due to the low, sustained bass notes throughout, this stunning a capella piece is also a challenge.”