John Tavener died unexpectedly on 12 November at the age of just 69, but left behind a unique body of work that marks him out as a true original.
To celebrate his extraordinary life, we've assembled interviews, profiles and CD reviews from the past 20 years of BBC Music Magazine to create a special 24-page digital issue, available for iPad and iPhone.
Tavener had, as he told BBC Music just weeks ago (and as you'll read in our December issue cover feature, reproduced in this free special issue) 'a God-given talent for connecting with people': in his later years, his music reached out across genres through its exquisite and deceptively simple craft – often dubbed 'spiritual minimalism' – and it spoke to audiences and congregations in a way that few composers over history have been able.
He was a modern hero among those for whom music could be a form of contemplation or prayer.
We do hope you find something to enjoy here, and that it'll help you to explore further the music of a most incredible and already much-missed composer.
To read the special issue, click here on your iPad or iPhone to download the free BBC Music Magazine app, where you'll find the Tavener issue ready to access.
