Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

If you have any interest in 20th century classical music you probably own 'The Protecting Veil' and 'Song For Athene' and if you enjoy contemporary choral music you may well know 'The Lamb' and 'The Tyger'. All are present here, although sadly the 'Veil' is only a 15-minute extract. Taken as a whole this is as good an introduction to Tavener’s work as you could get and, in addition, there is a world premiere recording of 'Prayer Of The Heart' written for and sung by Björk accompanied by the Brodsky Quartet. This is a setting of the Orthodox 'Jesus Prayer' and suits Björk’s voice perfectly. On its own this one track is indispensable for all who have an interest in Tavener’s music. As a bonus there is a 45 minute recorded interview of the composer's reflections on his life and work. Given that Tavener is such a prolific writer and that some of his works last hours rather than minutes any compilation is going to have to be highly selective or result in a box set. This double CD with excellent booklet is a genuine bargain, even at twice the price.