English musician Sir John Tavener”s latest composition, "The Beautiful Names," a choral piece inspired by the names of God mentioned in the Koran, was given its world premiere on Tuesday night at London”s Westminster Cathedral.
A number of angry Catholics have for the last week been pressuring organizers to cancel the performance, according to an article by Stephen Bates published in the June 15 edition of The Guardian. Those who opposed the performance to be staged in a cathedral have sent letters to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O”Connor, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. One letter writer claimed that the hymn”s being performed in the cathedral would cause a perception that the Catholic Church was supportive of the Islamic faith. However Mark Langham, administrator of Westminster Cathedral, said the concert would not be canceled as it was "not a religious event, but a musical one." The concert was held under tight security measures against the possibility of protests.
The two-hour concert, featuring tenor John Mark Ainsley as the lead singer, drew approximately 3,000, reported the Cihan news agency on Wednesday. Tavener and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Choir received a standing ovation from the audience, it said.
The piece”s Turkey premiere is scheduled for Friday, June 22 at İstanbul”s Hagia Eirene Museum in a concert jointly organized by the British Council and the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Art (İKSV). "The Beautiful Names," the lyrics of which are in Arabic, will be performed by more than 200 musicians of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
The Guardian said the İstanbul premiere of the concert, which is also part of the ongoing İstanbul International Music Festival, would no doubt take place without any problems like the one organizers faced in Britain. The report also underlined that Tavener would be the second non-native artist to be awarded the İstanbul Music Festival”s lifetime achievement honour in the festival”s 35-year history.
Apart from the festival, the concert is also part of a series of events organized by the British Council aimed at increasing intercultural dialogue. A panel discussion titled "Intercultural Dialogue and Music" will be held on Saturday at the Feriye Restaurant in Ortaköy within the framework of the British Council project. European and Turkish musicians and journalists will take part in the panel, which will kick off with an interview with Tavener.
Domestic News – Resource: Today”s Zaman
