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.

Lament was premiered in Australia in 2003 but this disc features a revised version Tavener prepared for the Choir of London's visit to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem in December 2004.
Tavener insists that Lament should be seen less as a statement about the current plight of Jerusalem and its inhabitants than as an elegy for humankind's exile from the soul's home, and seeks to remind us what Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in common. Through the purity of his musical gestures he achieves an intensity that can affect listeners regardless of their own religious convictions.
This revision radically reduces the forces needed, both in numbers and range of instrumentation.
While some weight is lost, along with the variety of sounds (the brass section comprises just three trumpets, the woodwind two flutes, two bassoons and oboe) this is amply compensated for by increased radiance and clarity.
The premiere recording of the full-scale Lament was recorded under Thomas Woods for ABC Classics; and even though it is almost impossible to find in the UK, to a large extent this more transparent version is preferable. The soprano part was originally taken by the marvellous Patricia Rozario but even on this count Summerly's recording need not fear comparison: Angharad Gruffydd Jones has a less distinctive voice but uses it to beautiful effect. Peter Crawford sings well too, less passionate but sweeter in tone than Christopher Josey, the countertenor on the first recording.