The Essential John Tavener on Naxos [5 CD set]

"Strongly recommended - but you may need to persevere. It's well removed from the cosy Christmas of renaissance art or of chestnuts roasting by the fire, though there's a place for those, too."
(MusicWeb Bargain of the Month Dec 2008 on the Clare College recording)

"Maria Kliegel gives a rich and songful account... Under the direction of Takuo Yuasa, the Ulster Orchestra gives an exquisite performance, the string textures warm and well rounded, particularly in the melting beauty of 'The Dormition of the Mother of God', and the finale, 'The Protecting Veil', has an incredible quality of stillness." (Strad on Protecting Veil)

"Many of the works presented on this CD have enjoyed wide circulation on numerous Taveneronly and compilation discs, but the performances here from the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, under the direction of Christopher Robinson, have much to recommend them and the super-budget price makes this issue especially desirable for those seeking a survey of Tavener's choral music for the first time. Svyati for solo cello and choir, with echoes of The Protecting Veil, opens a window on Tavener's more overtly Eastern/ Orthodox-inspired music. Tim Hugh's serenely beautiful account of the solo cello part is a winner from beginning to end. The recording, made in St John's College Chapel, is resplendently atmospheric."
2001 GRAMOPHONE AWARD FINALIST - Choral [Tavener: Song for Athene, Svyati & other choral music]

"Clare College Choir is outstanding throughout with a remarkable security of attack and precise intonation in chord sequences that are sometimes repetitive but never obvious. The acoustic in Norwich Cathedral is a real asset and so is this vivid recording." Gramophone [Ex Maria Virgine]

"As in much of Tavener's work, ritualistic repetition… is central. …if one accepts that this is a rite, not a dramatic, developing piece of Western symphonic music, the contained beauty can be quite mesmerizing. It's hard to imagine it better performed, or recorded." BBC Music [Lament for Jerusalem]