'Eternity's Sunrise'

This Sunday, February 6, Saint Philip’s First Sunday Music sequence will feature a morning of instrumental music and a special soprano solo.

One unique work will be by John Tavener called Eternity’s Sunrise. I first heard it on a lovely album of Tavener works by the Academy of Ancient Music conducted by Paul Goodwin. It highlighted an unforgettably high and soaring solo sung by Patricia Rosario, a Bombay-born English soprano with a uniquely rich yet pointed tone quality.

Eternity’s Sunrise, Academy of Ancient Music, Paul Goodwin, Patricia Rosario (https://open.spotify.com/album/2s7kxQ7lIqBqn0Gx5xqOAw?si=KNVTWwI-R7aXDSjZvD0yYw)

I also experienced this work in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian thriller Children of Men staring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. This engrossing film incorporates several works by John Tavener, including Mother of God, Here I Stand and The Lamb to tell a story of hope amidst a scene of societal collapse and the prospect of the extinction of the human race. Tavener’s works hold their place well in this context, along with complimentary material like Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and Sigur Rós’ Hoppípolla, the latter of which backs the film’s trailer:

Children of Men trailer

Eternity’s Sunrise features a characteristic ‘Taveneresque’ mix of poetry by William Blake—from his ‘Auguries of Innocence’—interspersed with liturgical ‘alleluias.’ Tavener wrote the work for a baroque ensemble and requires, with typical specificity, that the forces be divided into three levels: the soprano (who represents earth) should be at ground level, the handbells (the angels) should be at an intermediary level, and the strings (heaven) should be at the highest level.

The idea with such an eclectic arrangement is that ‘when seen as things truly are’, the earth should reflect heaven, which Tavener calls ‘the Eternal World.’ So according to Tavener, by this vision of faith, one can ‘live in Eternity’s sunrise’ in this world.

To this piece the composer attaches a quote by St. Gregory of Nazianzus: ‘I shared in the image of God, but did not keep it safe; the Lord shares in my flesh, so as to save the image, and to make the flesh immortal.’

In addition to this modern-yet-referential work, the instrumentalists will perform a Baroque concerto by the Venetian Composer Alessandro Marcello (1673-1747). Bach transcribed this particular work for harpsichord, but we perform it in its original form for strings, basso continuo, and oboe. Although this concerto sometimes is performed on Baroque recorder, the solo will be split between a modern oboe and modern flute during the services.

Oboe Concerto in D Minor, Alessandro Marcello, Bremer Barokorchester, Dorothee Oberlinger.

—Justin Appel, Director of Music