Search - Herbert Howells, Richard Moorhouse :: The Complete Morning and Evening Canticles of Herbert Howells, Vol. 2

Herbert Howells' Greatest Hits

Kathleen P. Egan | 03/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think of the above as an alternate title to Volume 2 of the Morning and Evening Canticles. In this collection, my favorites are the exquisite Nunc Dimittis for Unaccompanied Choir (written for the Catholic Church), the Chichester Service (advisory: this one can be a "downer" if one is in a negative frame of mind due to the angst-ridden, dissonant score--would be very appropriate for Lent--the phrase "terrible beauty" echoes in my mind whenever I listen to this service), the Gloucester Service (the silvery intermingling treble lines in the beginning of the Magnificat are a delight--once, while driving through a snowstorm,I was listening to this service and found it an appropriate accompaniment to the weather), and the Westminster Service. There is a "wildness" to the latter. The alternating minor chords in the beginning of the Magnificat and the rising and falling of the musical lines made it a fitting background to the Appalachian novel I was reading while listening to this CD. The "Great Amen" of both the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis is the most striking feature of this service. In case you haven't deduced this by now, I am NUTS about this CD!"

Wonderful music, wonderfully performed

altoman | Springfield, VA | 03/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Priory series of recordings encompassing all of the Morning and Evening Canticles of Herbert Howells continues with this second cd of Evening canticles, with a few anthems thrown in for good measure.First, the anthems. Behold O God, our Defender, was written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and is a stirring work. The Hymn for St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, is also an excellent work, and it is nice to have both of them on this recording.But it is the canticles for which you buy this recording, and the wealth of Howells' imagination continues to be revealed in this second volume. The Magdalen College service is very contemplative. The Chichester Service, on which the liner notes are somewhat critical, I found to be very moving. It comes from the mid-1960's when Howells' music was more pessimistic, but there is no abandonment of hope. The St. Peter's Westminster service is also fine, but it the the Gloucester canticles that are the most impressive. I find it almost impossible to write about the beauty and power of this service, the only service, incidentally, in which the canticles end pianissimo. Once again, heartfelt thanks to Priory for this undertaking."