Reviewed by John Irvine

This is an excellent live performance with only a couple of rough patches, particularly in the choral parts which are extremely difficult and stretch the performers to their limits. The hour-long piece is made up of 11 ikons or pictures of Christ, all of which emphasise the point that the apostle John saw Christ as he was as a human being, but we shall see him as he really is. By returning to this idea again and again, Tavener provides a spiritual message of great hope and excitement. Musically the piece revolves around recurring themes which represent, for example, the brilliance of the glory of God (a 'halo' of strings), God's power and overwhelming presence (brass, timpani and choir going flat out). This creates an immensely moving, enlightening and uplifting experience. This is the genuine article: music with a deep spiritual message. I often wonder -how do unbelievers cope with such a strong affirmation of faith in the risen and glorified Christ? How can they begin to understand or appreciate music written to proclaim that we shall, in fact, see Christ as he is? This choral work might not convert anyone, but it should certainly get them thinking. Apart from the spiritual aspect, the music is quite wonderful and should undoubtedly become one of the 'greats' of choral music of the late 20th century. Utterly essential listening.