I
first encountered these performers a couple of years ago
when I
reviewed a
very fine CD of music by Francis Pott. Now they turn their
attention to Herbert Howells.
I
love Howells’ music and I have collected many CDs of his
music over the years. However, this Signum disc is extremely
valuable because, instead of including yet another version
of
Like as the Hart, the
Collegium Regale music
or
A Spotless Rose, it presents a collection of
much less familiar pieces.
At
the heart of the programme is the
Missa Aedis Christi (‘Mass
of the House of Christ’), which was composed for the choir
of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Despite the Latin title,
the setting is in English, apart from the ‘Kyrie’. It’s
a succinct setting – the longest movement, the Credo, lasts
6:15 – but it’s extremely effective. The slow, unaccompanied ‘Kyrie’ is
very beautiful and its harmonic language is quintessential
Howells. The ‘Credo’ is an impressive movement, especially
at the affirmative proclamation of the Resurrection and
the strong expression of faith that follows it. The hushed,
prayerful ‘Agnus Dei’ is an intense little piece that inspires
some particularly dedicated singing from the choir.
Of
particular interest to admirers of Howells will be the
Six
Short Pieces for Organ, which I’ve not encountered
before. Howells seems to have envisaged composing a collection
of six brief organ works but never did so. In fact, as
we read in the notes, these pieces were completed and fashioned
as a set after the composer’s death when Robin Wells “took
six of the more substantial sketches and drafts [of organ
pieces] from among the many deposited in the library of
the Royal College of Music, and edited and completed them
for publication.” I don’t know how complete were the sketches
on which Wells worked but the finished product sounds completely
convincing. In an imaginative piece of programme planning,
the six pieces have been placed separately in the programme,
so that each one follows a movement from the Mass.
As the title of the collection
implies the pieces are not major compositions in the way
that, say, the Rhapsodies are. The longest of them lasts
less than six minutes. That’s a fine piece, marked ‘Quasi
lento: teneramente’, which is the last one that we hear
and which, very appropriately, follows the ‘Agnus Dei’ of
the Mass. From quiet beginnings it builds to a powerful,
emotional climax before subsiding to a reposeful ending.
The third of the pieces, ‘Aria’, is a good example of Howells’ ability
to spin a sustained melodic line while the ‘Allegro Impetuoso’ that
follows hot on its heels is fiery and energetic. Tristan
Busscher plays all these pieces very well indeed
The
programme also contains a couple of hymns, ‘This World,
my God, is held within your hand’ and ‘O Holy City, seen
of John’. I wouldn’t say that either is quite as memorable
as
Michael, the wonderful tune for ‘All my Hope
on God is Founded’ and, in truth, I think congregations
may find either a bit taxing. However, both deserve to
be better known than they are.
The
trio of choral works that open the recital are all very
fine.
Thee Will I Love was written for Peterborough
Cathedral and sets a text by Robert Bridges with typical
sensitivity to the words. The bittersweet harmonic richness
of Howells’ style is well to the fore.
Hills of the
North is for upper voices only, no doubt because it
was written to celebrate the centenary of a girls’ school,
Clifton High School, Bristol. It’s suitably celebratory
and was described by Barry Rose as a “virtuoso tour-de-force
for upper-voice choirs.” Best of all is
I Love All Beauteous
Things, another Bridges setting. This luxuriant, expressive
music is full of ecstasy and Paul Andrews, the author of
the liner-notes plausibly suggests that Bridges’ words
offer a summation of Howells’ own artistic credo.
There
is some lovely music on this CD, the contents of which
remind us of the extent to which Herbert Howells enriched
the repertoire of church music. I’m delighted that in planning
this programme Judy Martin has chosen to focus on some
of the composer’s less familiar music. She has trained
her choir very well indeed and their committed and technically
fine singing confirms the very favourable impression made
by their earlier disc of Francis Pott’s music. The choir,
by the way, consists of eight sopranos, fvie each of altos
and tenors and four basses. They blend delightfully and
produce a well-focused, clear and bright sound that falls
very pleasingly on the ear. Diction is admirably clear
at all times. In addition to playing his solos with great
sill and sensitivity Tristan Busscher gives the choir excellent
support from the organ console – and I presume he plays
the piano in
A Maid Peerless.
The
recorded sound is first rate with the choir nicely balanced
both internally and against the organ. The sound of the
organ itself is very well reported. Documentation includes
full texts, short but good notes and a full specification
of the organ. And a special word of thanks to Signum for
providing a booklet in which the typeface is of a legible
size and clearly reproduced. I wish all labels were as
considerate.
John Quinn
The Choir
of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin/Judy Martin 
