Herbert Howells

Herbert Howells (1892-1983) was an English composer and teacher perhaps best known for his choral music in the Anglican tradition. His String Quartet No.3 (In Gloucestershire) has a somewhat chequered history: originally finished in 1916 the only copy of the score was left on a train and lost forever! In the 1920s Howells rewrote the work incorporating the themes he could remember from the original but large sections of it had to be created from scratch. Howells was unable to serve in the Great War due to ill health and this quartet provides a fascinating insight into how he reacted to the turmoil and aftermathof the conflict. The title suggests it was inspired by the Cotswold landscape of which he was fond; this is indeed the case but it is haunted by the memories of departed friends with whom the landscape had once been shared.

Howells String Quartet No.3 (In Gloucestershire). This edition includes Parts only. A separate study score is also available for sale.

The Final Movement of the Concerto For Violoncello And Orchestra by Herbert Howells has been elaborated here by Jonathan Clinch arranged for Cello and Piano. A full performance lasts around 8 minutes.

Violin and Piano reduction of Three Dances Op. 7 for Violin and Orchestra. The Three Dances are delightful miniatures written in 1915 in relatively carefree student days (relatively because the Great War was already a year old and Howells through ill health which nearly killed him in 1917 was exempted from active service). They were composed for a young fellow-student George Whittaker a highly gifted violinist who had entered the College aged only eleven. Certainly the music has no hint of the momentous events beginning to take shape and which would fundamentally affect one of his closest friends Ivor Gurney and kill a number of others.