In 1996, Tavener composed "As One Who Has Slept," which explores the theme of Christ's descent into hell. Following this, he released "The Bridal Chamber" in memory of Pat Harrison, which addresses the Second Coming of Christ. With "Birthday Sleep," he set a text by Vernon Watkins to music, focusing on the Incarnation and surprising listeners with unexpected harmonic shifts. In "The Second Coming," Tavener incorporates themes from Yeats and musically depicts the instability of a world turned away from God through dissonance.
"Exhortation and Kohima," created for the Festival of Remembrance in 2003, is characterized by a cheerful atmosphere and harmonic unpredictability. That same year, works such as "Butterfly Dreams," "Schuon Hymns," and "Shûnya" marked a new phase in Tavener's oeuvre. These pieces are imbued with spiritual symbolism and traditional musical elements. In "Schuon Hymnen," Tavener sets poems by the metaphysician Frithjof Schuon to music, employing a structure of stanzas and refrains. "Shûnya" incorporates Sanskrit terms and, with its seemingly endless chord, is reminiscent of Buddhist ritual music.