Herbert Howells

Before me careless lying is a fine example of the contrapuntal art of Herbert Howells (1892 1983) inspired by the work of the great English composers of the Renaissance period those of the madrigal school in particular but in its passionate sensibility essentially twentieth century. The composer wrote this partsong on Christmas Day 1918 and dedicated it to his friend the organist Dr R. R. Terry Director of Music at Westminster Cathedral and chairman of the Tudor Church Music committee. The words are by the poet and biographer Austin Dobson whose Collected Poems was published in 1897.Perhaps as a token of the composer’s regard for Terry’s pioneering work infurthering the appreciation and understanding of sixteenth-century church music Before me careless lying was originally published with the alto and tenor parts notated in traditional clefs. It is here reissued with clefs in modern forms of treble and transposed treble respectively and with a keyboard transcription of the vocal parts which is intended for use in rehearsal.

Nine songs for voice and piano:Goddess of NightLost LoveThe Mugger's SongKing DavidO my deir hertThere was a Maiden Op.22A Madrigal Op.22The Widow Bird Op.22Girl's Song Op.22

Herbert Howells' A Spotless Rose is a carol for SATB a cappella. A Piano accompaniment is scored for rehearsal use.

This is the full score of Herbert Howells' 1950 composition Hymnus Paradisi for Soprano and Tenor Soli SATB chorus and orchestra. Now available for the first time in print this score has been prepared from the known sources revised and edited with critical commentary and includes a preface by Paul Spicer and introductory notes by Sir David Willcocks. Four of the choral movements (II-V) are settings of Latin and English texts. These are drawn from the Psalms and the 'Miss pro defunctis' the book of Common Prayer and are immemorial reflections upon the transient griefs and indestructible hopes of mankind. All are appropriate to the mood and purpose ofa Requiem. Movement VI is a setting of lines from the Salisbury Diurnal used here in the translation by Dr G. H. Palmer appearing at the end of Robert Bridges' Anthology The Spirit of Man. The first performance was at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester on 7th September 1950 which the composer conducted. The Bach Choir gave the first London performance early in 1951 and recorded the work in 1970 with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Sir David Willcocks.

Pastorale; Chosen Tune; Luchinuska. A welcome reprint of three delightful pieces by an outstanding English 20th-century composer.Set for the Guildhall School Examinations Grades 3 6 and 7.

Three of the finest of all settings of the English language canticles. Over the past quarter of a century Howells has emerged as among the greatest and certainly most widely performed composers of choral liturgical works of the last hundred years.At last his most important Services appear in a series of four handsome collections that link geographically the cathedral choirs for which they were written newly edited with interpretative notes by David Hill.

Two part songs by the eminent English choral composer Herbert Howells setting the words of James Ballantine and Seumas O’Sullivan.