Herbert Howells
Herbert Howells wrote Anglican church music of rare harmonic warmth and contemplative beauty, from carol-anthems such as A Spotless Rose to Latin motets and organ works steeped in the Tudor tradition.
His carol writing folds modal colour and rich inner parts around a still centre. A Spotless Rose and Tryste Noel linger rather than glitter. The Three Latin Church Motets carry the same inward glow into Salve Regina, Regina Coeli and Nunc Dimittis. On the organ, Master Tallis's Testament pays quiet homage to Tudor polyphony with long-breathed lines and luminous harmony. Lambert's Fireside, from the clavichord set Lambert's Clavichord, is intimate and reflective, music made for close listening rather than display. Across services, motets and smaller pieces he keeps returning to that English Renaissance grain: unhurried pacing, dense yet clear part-writing, and a glow that suits choir loft and chapel as readily as the concert hall.
Compositions by Herbert Howells appear on
More Bizarre or baRock
"The hottest, hippest harpsichord in the world today," said one critic of the best-selling Bizarre or baRock. Melbourne harpsichordist Elizabeth Anderson returns with the long-awaited sequel.
Great Hall Grandeur
Amy Johansen plays the Rudolf von Beckerath organ in the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. Great Hall Grandeur presents one of Australia’s most beautiful and versatile pipe organs – among Beckerath’s last masterpieces – in the hands of one of the country’s finest concert organists.
The 12 Days of Christmas
The Choir of Ormond College sings carols long held in affection around the world, and pairs them with newer works, accompanied by renowned Australian pianist Stephen McIntyre.
Kodály Missa Brevis
Recorded on their 1997 European tour in Northern Italy and Germany, the Choir of Ormond College sings Kodály’s Missa Brevis, with works by Tye, Howells and Bach.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
The Choir of Ormond College, directed by Douglas Lawrence, presents a varied selection of twenty-eight Christmas carols. Familiar favourites sit beside Bach and Pachelbel organ pieces and twentieth-century settings.
Carols Psalms and Anthems
Under the direction of Professor Emeritus Peter Godfrey, CBE, the Trinity College Chapel Choir offers a striking programme of rarely heard carols, psalms and anthems spanning several centuries of sacred choral writing.