John Tavener wrote Towards Silence in 2007, reflecting on the various states of being: dreaming, sleeping and 鈥渢hat which is beyond鈥�, the soul's journey towards nothingness. Taking the title of that iconic piece as a starting point, this programme of music reflects upon silence. Bantock鈥檚 melodramatic piece about the moon going to rest is set alongside Gabriel Jackson鈥檚 serene Ruchill Linn, based on a poem about a still spring evening at dusk. The finale is a piece by the late John Tavener himself, Ikon of Light, a work that uses silence to portray the dazzling light of God.
