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- John Tavener
The Tyger (1987)
- Chester Music Ltd (World)
Commissioned by Phillip Brunelle
- SSSSSAATTTBBBB
- 10 min
- William Blake
- English
Programme Note
THE TYGER was written for Philip Sherrard for his 65th birthday. It was composed in Katounia, Greece, and at one dramatic point refers back to THE LAMB, both in text and in music.
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burned the fore of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright,
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy symmetry?
William Blake (1757 – 1827)
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burned the fore of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright,
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy symmetry?
William Blake (1757 – 1827)
Media
The Tyger
Discography
Choral Ikons
- LabelOpus Arte
- Catalogue NumberOA0854D (DVD)
- ConductorJames Whitbourn
- EnsembleThe Choir
- Released2nd January 2011
The John Tavener Collection
- LabelDecca
- Catalogue Number475 096-2
- ConductorStephen Layton
- EnsembleEnglish Chamber Orchestra / Choir of Temple Church / Holst Singers
- SoloistNatalie Clein, cello (extracts only of The Protecting Veil and The Veil of the Temple)
- Released1st January 2003
- LabelSony
- Catalogue NumberSK66613
- ConductorMartin Neary
- EnsembleEnglish Chamber Orchestra / Westminster Abbey Choir
- LabelCala
- Catalogue NumberCACD88023
- ConductorSimon Joly
- EnsembleBBC Singers
John Tavener: A Portrait
- LabelNaxos
- Catalogue Number8.558152-53
- Soloistvarious
- LabelHyperion
- Catalogue NumberCDA66464
- ConductorChristopher Robinson
- EnsembleSt George's Chapel Choir
- LabelNaxos
- Catalogue Number8.555256
- ConductorChristopher Robinson
- EnsembleChoir of St John's College, Cambridge
- SoloistTimothy Hugh, cello
- LabelCollins
- Catalogue Number1405-2
- ConductorHarry Christophers
- EnsembleDuke Quartet / The Sixteen
