{"title":"Herbert Howells","description":"\u003cp\u003e1892–1983. British composer. in the English Renaissance Revival tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowells is best known for his Anglican choral and liturgical music, particularly his cathedral settings and the deeply personal Hymnus Paradisi. His music is suffused with spiritual depth and an elegiac, melancholic quality rooted in the English pastoral tradition. Co-appearing with Holst, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams confirms his place in the English Modern school. Contemplative is warranted here given his defining meditative, devotional style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSignature works:\u003c\/em\u003e Requiem, Hymnus Paradisi, Collegium Regale Canticles, Take him, earth, for cherishing, Rhapsody No. 3 for Organ.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"silence-music-franklin-east-carolina-university-chamber-singers","title":"Silence \u0026 Music \/ Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe award-winning East Carolina University Chamber Singers, under the direction of James Franklin, perform a nuanced musical meditation of hopeful celebration and comfort. The album represents a journey through a period of silence; isolation gives way to the sounds of voices singing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gothic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012431040746,"sku":"000334934026","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4257653-3079595.jpg?v=1786652664"},{"product_id":"dazzling-light","title":"Dazzling Light","description":"On Dazzling Light Christopher Lowrey and his vocal ensemble Altera explore light in all it's forms. There is a remarkable body of choral music that evokes light's many facets: the light of morning and evening, sacred light, light as a symbol of Christ, light as the conqueror of darkness and even (thanks to the James Webb telescope) the light of distant galaxies. This programme includes works primarily from the 20th and 21st centuries, with music by John Rutter, Jonathan Dove, Matthew Martin, Toby Young, Charles Wood, Ko Matsushita, Sir William Harris, Eric Whitacre, Thomas Tallis, Michael Garrepy and David Hill. There is also an evening prayer by English composer Joanna Marsh, a work by South African composer Motshwane Pege, the winner of Altera's third composition competition, and John Cameron's arrangement of Edward Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations; this work, entitled Lux aeterna, is perfectly suited to Altera's strengths.","brand":"Alpha","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012432744682,"sku":"3701624511206","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4394723-3312253.jpg?v=1786686485"},{"product_id":"eastertide-evensong","title":"Howells, Taverner et al.: Eastertide Evensong \/ Nethsingha, Choir of St. John's College","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFollowing from Ash Wednesday, this album is the second live Evensong album from the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge and marks the next great season of the Church’s Year, Eastertide. This celebration of Jesus’s resurrection also initially spans forty days, taking us up to Ascension Day, and culminates on the fiftieth day with the Feast of Pentecost. Where the previous album reflected the tradition of using no organ from Ash Wednesday until the Gloria of the Easter Vigil, the instrument is fully utilized here by the Chapel’s organ scholars Glen Dempsey and James Anderson Besant. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world, known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its distinctive rich, warm sound, its expressive interpretations and its breadth of repertoire. Alongside these musical characteristics, the Choir is particularly proud of its happy, relaxed and mutually supportive atmosphere.\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012435955946,"sku":"635212070727","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4075300-2804876.jpg?v=1786690878"},{"product_id":"divine-music-an-english-songbook-iestyn-davies-joseph-middleton","title":"Divine Music - An English Songbook \/ Davies, Middleton","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Inspirations and imaginings, evolving, changing English usage, landscapes, friendships and passings lie behind this album... Loosely, the songs we’ve selected embrace multiple interpre- tations and nuances of ‘divine’. As well as, I could argue, that sentiment of English song and English speaking composers embodying the [Blake\/Parry] ‘Jerusalem-Builded-Here’ trope. The world I came from (singing in choir stalls), along with how countertenors are perceived generally, has been hard to escape. So here perhaps I’m taking on the challenge. As well as an opportunity to include songs written for me that for some while I’ve been needing to put down on disc.” (Iestyn Davies) ‘Divine Music’ marks Iestyn Davies’ third recital album on Signum Classics. The ‘Four Songs’ (Purcell\/ Adès), Spoons Aria (Adès), Four Traditional Songs and Old Bones (Muhly) are world premiere recordings. Muhly’s Four Traditional Songs were also written dedicated to Iestyn Davies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003eIt’s lovely to hear Butterworth’s Shropshire Lad songs in this pairing, a countertenor voice adding a wan fragility to ‘Is my team ploughing?’ and a wistful sense of perpetual youth and innocence to ‘The lads in their hundreds’.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003e-- Gramophone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012453126378,"sku":"635212072523","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4201743-2977091.jpg?v=1786676797"},{"product_id":"magnificat-3-nethsingha-st-johns-college-cambridge","title":"Magnificat 3 \/ Nethsingha, St John’s College, Cambridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing their critically acclaimed ‘Psalms’ album, St John’s College, Cambridge and Andrew Nethsingha present a selection of Magnificat \u0026amp; Nunc Dimittis recordings from January and July 2022. Much of the third volume in their series of Evening Canticles focuses on music in a twenty-year period, from 1945 to 1965. Philip Moore’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were commissioned especially for St John’s College, Cambridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003eIt’s sad that Nethsingha’s departure means that the next volume will be the last. I can’t think of a greater or more apt epitaph to the music director’s time at St John’s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003e-- Gramophone (\u003cstrong\u003eEditor's Choice\u003c\/strong\u003e, May 2023)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003eThese contrasting works, embracing solo writing and full-bodied, lavish textures, give the choir the chance to display their warm sound and versatility. They do, wholeheartedly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c-product-review--quote\"\u003e-- The Guardian (UK)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012474163434,"sku":"635212074220","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4182496-2971848.jpg?v=1786678927"},{"product_id":"psalms-stars-light","title":"Psalms, Stars \u0026 Light","description":"The Book of Psalms is an ancient corpus of 150 texts exploring thanksgiving, lamentation, penitence, and spirituality, which have significantly influenced mythical and secular poetry. Including several premiere recordings, this album features well-loved settings of these treasured words, together with fresh compositions by emerging composers.","brand":"Convivium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012478882026,"sku":"700153370806","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4335088-3201947.jpg?v=1786713581"},{"product_id":"music-on-christmas-morning-vasari-singers","title":"Music on Christmas Morning \/ Vasari Singers","description":"\u003cp\u003eVasari Singers is one of the UK’s leading chamber choirs with a series of acclaimed albums released on Naxos. Music on a Christmas Morning presents an uplifting seasonal programme including the world premiere recording of Helena Paish’s beautiful setting of words by the youngest of the Brontë sisters. Vasari Singers’ previous Christmas release A Winter’s Light is available on Naxos 8.573030.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012488614122,"sku":"747313454273","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4246508-3143533.jpg?v=1786635429"},{"product_id":"vaughan-williams-a-birthday-garland-roderick-williams-susie-allan","title":"Vaughan Williams - A Birthday Garland \/ Roderick Williams \u0026 Susie Allan","description":"\u003cp\u003eSOMM RECORDINGS is delighted to announce Vaughan Williams – A Birthday Garland, the debut on disc of baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Susie Allan’s popular concert tribute to Ralph Vaughan Williams originally marking the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCurating a “fantasy birthday party concert” in tribute to “the grand-daddy of 20th-century English song”, Williams has assembled pieces by RVW and 18 fellow composers. The result is a wide-ranging celebration of the rich variety of English song over a century and more that pays tribute to Vaughan Williams’ influence with songs inspired by poets ranging from Shakespeare and Tennyson to W.B. Yeats and Walt Whitman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFirst recordings include Herbert Howell’s The Sorrow of Love, a setting of the Irish poet Seamus O’Sullivan; Sarah Cattley’s A Square and Candle-lighted Boat, treating verses by RVW’s cousin, Frances Cornford; and Roderick Williams’ own distinctive take on William Blake’s The Shepherd.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 30-song recital includes songs by RVW’s teachers (Stanford, Parry, Wood, Bruch, Ravel), friends (Holst, Gurney, Howells, Butterworth, Finzi and others), and pupils (Grace Williams, Ina Boyle, Ruth Gipps, Elizabeth Maconchy and Madeleine Dring). Vaughan Williams’ biographer Simon Heffer provides authoritative booklet notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSOMM’s previous Vaughan Williams releases include the widely acclaimed four-volume Vaughan Williams Live series (SOMM ARIADNE 5016, 5018, 5019-2, 5020); Mark Bebbington and Rebeca Omordia’s “compelling” (International Piano) survey of his Piano Music (SOMMCD 0164); and the “priceless document” (MusicWeb International) coupling the Fifth Symphony and Dona nobis pace (SOMMCD 071).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRoderick Williams and Susie Allan’s previous SOMM releases include Celebrating English Song (SOMMCD 0177), lauded by Gramophone as “a treat”; the Ivor Gurney-focused Severn \u0026amp; Somme (SOMM 057), “strongly recommended” by BBC Music Magazine; and Somervell’s A Shropshire Lad and Maud (SOMMCD 0615), “performances of much beauty, empathy and sensitivity” (British Music Society).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012497854698,"sku":"748871068322","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4389341-3299641.jpg?v=1786690141"},{"product_id":"magnificat-4","title":"Magnificat 4 \/ Nethsingha, SJCC Cambridge","description":"Continuing their Magnificat series, and the last album of Andrew Nethsingha's tenure as director, The Choir of St John's College Cambridge present Magnificat 4 with works from composers including Judith Weir, Jonathan Dove, Joanna Forbes L'Estrange and Charles Villiers Stanford. The album also features 'Magnificat \u0026amp; Nunc Dimittis' by Piers Connor Kennedy, commissioned for the choir.","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012504146154,"sku":"635212077726","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4344213-3187724.jpg?v=1786636651"},{"product_id":"howells-wood-quartets","title":"Howells \u0026 Wood: Quartets","description":"SOMM Recordings is thrilled to announce an exciting new album from the London Chamber Ensemble and violinist and director Madeleine Mitchell of premiere recordings of early 20th century English string music by Herbert Howells and his Royal College of Music teacher Charles Wood, including the recently discovered earlier version of \"In Gloucestershire\", thought lost, alongside two delightful short pieces, Luchinushka and Chosen Tune, newly arranged by Madeleine Mitchell. Herbert Howells first composed a string quartet entitled \"In Gloucestershire\" in 1916, though the score was immediately lost. He began re-composing the work a few years later before announcing it's completion in 1920. Following early performances and revisions, this version also disappeared. However, in the 1980s it emerged that a set of parts of the original 1920 version had survived, and it is this version, newly constructed and edited by the author of the booklet notes, Jonathan Clinch, and cellist Joseph Spooner who also features on this disc. Howell's Three Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 28 is also from this same period. The title of No. 2, \"Chosen Tune\", refers to Chosen Hill, Howell's birthplace near Gloucester, which affords beautiful views of the surrounding countryside where he enjoyed walking. Mitchell first performed these three pieces at the St. Petersburg Festival of British Music in 2009. Having played the Three Pieces... in many countries since 2009, Mitchell arranged two of these, \"Chosen Tune\" and \"Luchinushka\" for a quartet program to be given at a Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition in London in January of 2022. The Charles Wood Quartet in D major was his last string quartet and most likely composed during the years of the First World War after the premiere of his Quartet in F major on 7 March 1916. This well crafted work incorporates Irish jigs, folk tunes and laments which reflect both his Irish roots and the growing sense of nationalism celebrating British Music during the period. Woods' music, along with many other early 20th century writers of tonal music, fell out of fashion during the decades that followed, but as this recording shows, SOMM considers the music very well worth re-discovering and plans to record Wood's remaining five numbered quartets in future.","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012505227498,"sku":"748871069220","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4366439-3225825.jpg?v=1786708814"},{"product_id":"venite-gaudete-choral-music-for-christmas-ikon","title":"Venite, Gaudete! – Choral Music for Christmas \/ Ikon","description":"\u003cp\u003ePreviously released on The Gift of Music label. David Hill is widely respected as a choral conductor. This album features music for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany for mixed voice choirs, blending the old (O come, o come, Emmanuel; Coventry Carol) and the new (Eric Whitacre’s Lux aurumque), in a superb celebration of the festive season.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012506964202,"sku":"747313457571","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4253311-3143540.jpg?v=1786639466"},{"product_id":"a-prayer-for-deliverance","title":"A Prayer for Deliverance","description":"Mixing iconic choral works with music by some of today's most exciting composers, this varied programme is centred around themes of rest. Joel Thompson's virtuosic new work is a particular highlight: written in 15 parts, A Prayer for Deliverance perfectly showcases Tenebrae's core values of passion and precision. The second half features Herbert Howells' Requiem - surely one of the most moving works in the English choral repertoire. Associated with the untimely death of Howells' young son Michael, the work remained unknown until it was finally published just three years before Howells' own death in 1983.","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012536619242,"sku":"635212088029","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4420828-3383055.jpg?v=1786658079"},{"product_id":"christmas-with-the-bevan-family-consort","title":"Christmas with the Bevan Family Consort","description":"Following their first successful album on Signum Records, the Bevan Family Consort present a collection of Christmas Carols and compositions for Advent. The collection includes familiar works such as Darke's setting of 'In the Bleak Midwinter', which is presented here in a new arrangement by Francis Bevan and was as works newly transcribed for this album such as Palestrina's 'Missa sine nominee a5' and Weelkes 'Gloria in excelsis Deo'. 'Lute-book lullaby' also features, composed by original Bevan Family Choir founder David Bevan. ? THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2023 \"[A] lovingly curated selection of works for voices. All received performances of exquisite subtlety and clarity\" - The Times","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012558147818,"sku":"635212090923","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4353104-3201938.jpg?v=1786664514"},{"product_id":"o-holy-night-christmas-carols-from-st-john-s","title":"O Holy Night - Christmas Carols from St John’s","description":"The second album from the Choir of St John's with their new music director - Christopher Gray. At the centre of the programme are the atmospheric Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noel by Francis Poulenc, and the heartfelt Three Carol-Anthems by Herbert Howells who directed the Choir here at St John's during the Second World War. Other items include the beautiful carol John Rutter wrote for the Choir in 1985, There is a flower, and the haunting Peace on earth by Master of the King's Music, Errollyn Wallen. \"My aim with this album has not been to break new ground with repertoire, but to ensure that classics remain fresh for the current generation\" - Christopher Gray","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012562440426,"sku":"635212091326","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4433255-3412674.jpg?v=1786676715"},{"product_id":"safe-harbor-842840114420","title":"Safe Harbor \/ U.S. Navy Band Sea Canters Chorus","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover songs to connect, heal, and inspire on the U.S. Navy Band Sea Canter Chorus’ recording “Safe Harbor”. These musicians have played a vital role in comforting America in times of mourning, and this recording follows in those footsteps\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Altissimo","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012617720042,"sku":"842840114420","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4408812-3332468.jpg?v=1786690776"},{"product_id":"howells-piano-music-vol-2-747313138371","title":"Howells: Piano Music, Vol. 2 \/ Schellhorn","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/products\/howells-piano-music-vol-1-schellhorn-291475\" title=\"Herbert Howells: Piano Music vol. 1 by Matthew Schellhorn on ArkivMusic\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efirst volume of this series (Naxos 8571382)\u003c\/a\u003e, Matthew Schellhorn surveyed six decades of Herbert Howells’ compositions for the piano. This second volume reprises the journey, tracing the composer’s stylistic development from the charming poetic miniatures of his youth through to the resonant modal quirkiness of his later dances. The survey includes a centrally important work, the Sonatina of 1971, performed here in Schellhorn’s own edition compiled from the manuscript sources, which includes variants not heard for half a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell0_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eHowells is renowned for his choral and organ music. His piano music is less well known and these releases are very welcome. As in the first volume Matthew Schellhorn surveys this music over the whole of Howells’ career. Mostly miniatures, there is much to enjoy here and it is interesting to see the development in compositional style throughout. The CD ends with the longest work, his 1971 \u003cem\u003eSonatina\u003c\/em\u003e and also includes \u003cem\u003eA Little Book of Dances\u003c\/em\u003e from 1928. Beautiful performances of this well crafted music in what are, incredibly, almost exclusively world premiere recordings. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- Lark Reviews (Stephan Page)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012670214378,"sku":"747313138371","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4145890-2911747.jpg?v=1786632978"},{"product_id":"walton-benjamin-howells","title":"Walton, Benjamin \u0026 Howells","description":"Franco-Swiss violist Mathis Rochat presents British repertoire for viola and orchestra, pairing William Walton's well-known concerto with rarely recorded works by Herbert Howells and Arthur Benjamin. Featuring violinist Abigel Kralik, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the direction of Howard Griffiths, the program highlights romantic styles and lesser-known voices within the first half of 20th-century British music.","brand":"Evil Penguin","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012691906794,"sku":"608917725926","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4449296-3432625_c6adea93-cfb8-42d1-b6f1-0c294836c951.jpg?v=1786673198"},{"product_id":"gia-choralworksa-serenity-of-soul-westminster-choir-100th","title":"A Serenity of Soul \/ Jordan, Westminster Choir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWestminster Choir 100th Anniversary Recording\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMusic has the ability to illuminate aspects of the human condition in ways that only sound married to texts can achieve. One of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century, William Sloan Coffin, often remarked that music in most cases was more powerful than the spoken word. This recording represents just that. All the music on this recording reflects, in sound, that serenity (and, yes, beauty) is within all of us if we choose to go there. This recording celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Westminster Choir in 1920 by John Finley Williamson, albeit a bit later.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GIA","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012706095338,"sku":"785147814528","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4322716-3143866.jpg?v=1786644535"},{"product_id":"elgar-finzi-howells-webber-vaughan-williams-elegy","title":"Elgar, Finzi, Howells, Webber \u0026 Vaughan Williams: Elegy","description":"That there is indeed something of the ethereal, of the timeless, and of the indefinable pervading all of the music heard on this CD instantly calls into question our shared notions of what the term Elegy actually signifies.     Here the listener will encounter none of the unutterable despair of, for example, Samuel Barber's great Adagio for Strings, or the tortured valediction of Richard Strauss' Metamorphosen, but rather an introspection and wistfulness of an altogether gentler sort. As the poet Thomas Gray expressed it in his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751), \"Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre","brand":"Quartz Music","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012713074922,"sku":"880040216322","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4344207-3187766.jpg?v=1786668071"},{"product_id":"in-winters-house-christmas-with-tenebrae","title":"In Winter's House: Christmas with Tenebrae","description":"\u003cp\u003eTheir fourth Christmas release, BBC Music Magazine Award winning choir Tenebrae return under the expert direction Nigel Short with a sumptuous album of Carols, Hymns and other celebratory works for Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTenebrae is regularly engaged with the world’s finest orchestras – appearing regularly with the Academy of Ancient Music and Aurora Orchestra – and has performed at major festivals and venues including the BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Leipzig Gewandhaus (Germany) and Melbourne Festival (Australia). ‘Passion and Precision’ are Tenebrae’s core values. Through its continued dedication to performance of the highest quality, Tenebrae’s vision is to deliver dramatic programming, flawless performances and unforgettable experiences, allowing audiences around the world to be moved by the power and intimacy of the human voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe variety of carols is enchanting: Tenebrae includes pieces by authors from the twentieth century (such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Elizabeth Poston and Herbert Howells), from the nineteenth century (such as Edward W. Naylor) or contemporary (such as Owain Park , Joanna Marsh, Joseph Phibbs and Joanna Forbes l'Estrange), all well-contrasted samples of Christmas music. Short — who presents a new version of Britten's work, A Ceremony of Carols op. 28, a piece full of charm perhaps because of the mystery of the ancient texts—he has done an exceptional job with the musicians in his choir, accompanied by Camilla Pay's harp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHighlights include the delicate That Yongë Childe ('That little boy'), with a solo of Joshua Davidson\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eformer chorister of the St. John's College—as well as an exquisite duet of soloists Grace Davidson and Martha McLorinan in Spring Carol and the enchanting This Little Babe, in a lyrical and dynamic interpretation of the female voices to the rhythm of the harp. Pay's imaginative and personal interpretation of the interlude deserves a commendable mention. The voices of the choir have been very successful in performing Advent music, such as Marsh's In Winter's House, composed in 2019 for the tenors and basses of the Tenebrae Choir, and the beautiful Advent 'O' Carol by the composer Forbes l'Estrange. Likewise, the version of the traditional Christmas carol The Truth Sent from Above, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, has the splendid baritone Joseph Edwards as soloist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith his plurality of perspectives, Nigel Short offers a very coherent proposal not only for his varied repertoire but also for the rigor with which he synthesizes the knowledge he has acquired at the head of the Tenebrae Choir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- Sonograma\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012778119402,"sku":"635212069028","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4118908-2867397_81776d9a-562a-4a18-a306-46b0785b4e0a.jpg?v=1786632831"},{"product_id":"the-tree-966180","title":"The Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003eAndrew Nethsingha and The Choir of St John’s, Cambridge present a tribute album to two former directors, Christopher Robinson and David Hill, who celebrate their 85th and 65th birthdays respectively. Taking the idea of new growth as a starting point, the album develops from the seed of a single treble line, gradually adding organ, then lower voices, a second choir (Yale Schola Cantorum), 150 additional singers, and eventually combining nearly 500 voices together (former members and friends of the college choir). The programme spans Hildegard of Bingen to a new commission by James Long (b.1987) and also includes works by three ex-St Johnians: Herbert Howells, Johnathan Harvey and Christopher Robinson. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world, known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its distinctive rich, warm sound, its expressive interpretations and its breadth of repertoire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012920201450,"sku":"635212069127","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4018153-2754536.jpg?v=1786693943"},{"product_id":"howells-chamber-music","title":"Howells: Chamber Music","description":"Herbert Howells' style, immediately recognizable for it's long melodic lines, rhapsodic nature and rich harmonies, defined the sound of English cathedral music in the 20th century. His studies in London imbued his works with sophistication and a French influence, which were intertwined with a nostalgic 'heartache' for the 'real Gloucestershire,' as can be heard in String Quartet No. 3. The charming little character stories in 'Lady Audrey's Suite' tell of countryside and church, while the Piano Quartet in A minor is dedicated \"To the Hill at Chosen and Ivor Gurney who knows it,\" portraying a favorite local vantage point at different seasons as well as poignantly remembering a lost friendship.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012944384234,"sku":"747313391370","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3905662.jpg?v=1786702372"},{"product_id":"stanford-howells-remembered-rutter-the-cambridge-singers-292694","title":"Stanford \u0026 Howells Remembered \/ Rutter, The Cambridge Singers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis recording is a choral tribute to the sacred music of two visionary composers who, among their other achievements, made distinctive, lasting and much-cherished contributions to the musical repertory of the English Church: Charles Villiers Stanford and Herbert Howells. It is a newly remastered set of the Cambridge Singers’ 1992 Stanford and Howells recording, which has been expanded with almost twenty minutes of previously unreleased material including Stanford’s resplendent Latin Magnificat. John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers are joined by star organist Wayne Marshall in the magnificent acoustic of Ely Cathedral.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013040558314,"sku":"040888052425","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3829552-2577885.jpg?v=1786684817"},{"product_id":"here-elsewhere-roger-w-sherman-293535","title":"Here \u0026 Elsewhere \/ Roger W. Sherman","description":"\u003cp\u003eRoger Sherman is the President of The Gothic Catalog, where he has been producer and recording\/mastering engineer for hundreds of recordings. He is now Associate Organist, Emeritus of St. Mark’s after more than 30 years of service to the Cathedral. He is also Artistic Director, Emeritus of the Orcas Choral Society. Since 1993, he has been the host of the popular radio program The Organ Loft, broadcast throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a recording artist he has been featured on both the Loft and reZound labels. On this release, featuring works by Bohm, Bach, Sweelinck, Purcell, and more, he performs on the organs of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, and San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ReZound","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013079322858,"sku":"617145502223","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3826283-2578528.jpg?v=1786643745"},{"product_id":"magnificat-vol-2-845051","title":"Magnificat, Vol. 2","description":"\u003cp\u003eAndrew Nethsingha and The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge release the second volume in the highly-praised Magnificat series and present nine settings of the Evening Canticles by celebrated Organist-Composers, written between 1932 and 1952, and non-church musicians from 1974-1989. The recording culminates with a contemporay setting by Julian Anderson, composed for the Chapel’s 150th anniversary. “These first volumes are designed to complement one another. Magnificat 1 started earlier, with Stanford in the 1880s; Volume Two brings us briefly up to the present day. The first release contained celebrated works by Tippett and Leighton from 1961 and 1972 respectively, in between the two main periods represented on this disc. Both albums contain iconic works by Howells, written a year apart. We hear composers creating different orders of priority for the parameters of composition.” - Andrew Nethsingha\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013119561962,"sku":"635212066720","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3953821-2691100.jpg?v=1786709432"},{"product_id":"christmas-with-sonoro-ferris-higgins-159982","title":"Christmas With Sonoro \/ Ferris, Higgins","description":"For most listeners, even those experienced with Christmas choral collections, the majority of original works and arrangements on this program will be unfamiliar. And that turns out to be a good thing—the selections are diverse enough yet compatible and complementary in style, all set with a sensitivity to text, to the spirit of the occasion—whether celebratory or contemplative—and, importantly, to singability and listenability.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  So many Christmas collections in recent years, for some reason mostly from British choirs, have to their credit highlighted new music—but much of it unsingable by any but the most accomplished ensembles, and so difficult for the ear to reconcile alongside starkly more “accessible” works that the listening experience becomes uneasy and even intermittently unpleasant. Which is why I warily listened to the first several selections here—and found myself thoroughly and continuously surprised as the disc progressed. Here is a choral Christmas program that you can listen to straight through without fear, combining the delight of discovery—new composers, new music and texts, new arrangements of traditional carols—with the comfort and joy of a few beloved, favorite, familiar anchors, from Joubert’s There is no rose and Howells’ A spotless rose, to Warlock’s Bethlehem Down.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Beginning with Malcolm Archer’s A little child there is yborn, its bouncy, jovial character reminiscent of a John Rutter setting, the program progresses through a wide array of traditional texts and sometimes tunes—The angel Gabriel; In the bleak midwinter; Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; The Holly and the Ivy; Coventry Carol—but in inventive and always agreeable new realizations by composers and arrangers such as Paul Spicer (whose In a Field as I Lay is a highlight), Gareth Treseder (Blessed be that Maid Marie—another gem), Michael Higgins, Becky McGlade, Betty Roe, and Sally Beamish. And it doesn’t hurt that the singing by the 17 voices of Sonoro—yes, a professional British chamber choir—is consistently well-tuned, perfectly balanced, and projects a vibrant, characterful sound that gives the impression of concert-like spontaneity—a rare and welcome effect on a recording. The sooner you get this the more time you’ll have to listen. Highly recommended.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Resonus Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013138436330,"sku":"5060262791332","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3825709.jpg?v=1786709537"},{"product_id":"the-evening-hour-british-choral-music-from-139547","title":"The Evening Hour: British Choral Music from the 16th \u0026 20th Centuries \/ Williams","description":"All of the pieces chosen for this new release center around the theme of evening time.  \u003cb\u003eMark Williams\u003c\/b\u003e and his  \u003cb\u003eChoir of Jesus College Cambridge\u003c\/b\u003e have released four prior albums with Signum, all of which have gained critical praise. The programme of this album blends ancient and modern, featuring works from Thomas Tallis, William Harris, Gustav Holst, and many more.","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013245817066,"sku":"635212044629","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3328883.jpg?v=1786650523"},{"product_id":"poetry-in-music","title":"Poetry in Music","description":"Does music add substance to words or is music inspired by them? Songs of departure and farewell are deeply rooted in the great tradition of British choral music, nourished by ancient myths of testing journeys, wayside transformations and homecomings. The transcendent nature of music and the power of poetry to challenge and alter perceptions of reality – harnessed by English composers over many centuries – flow through a programme that invites contemplation of life and death, of love and loss, creation and eternity. In a journey covering six centuries of musical history, The Sixteen performs a cappella anthems with powerful texts by writers as varied as Edmund Spenser, Christopher Fry and W.H. Auden.","brand":"Coro","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013352870122,"sku":"828021613425","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2993202.jpg?v=1786698587"},{"product_id":"christmas-carols-various-359869","title":"Christmas Carols \/ Creed, SWR Vocal Ensemble","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn Great Britain Christmas carols are an integral part of Christmas just like plum pudding and turkey, paper crowns and mistletoe. They are sung in all big cathedrals and churches at Christmas, first and foremost in the time-honored chapel of King’s College. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols- a Christmas mass featuring King’s College Choir, nine short readings and, of course, carols- has been broadcast live on the radio every year since 1928 on Christmas Eve. The a cappella choir SWR Vokalensemble belongs worldwide to the best choirs, renowned mostly for its exquisite performances of modern music. This album however contains traditional, centuries old Christmas Carols, arranged by British composers like Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Byrd, to name just a few.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn entire program of English music recorded by a German choir doesn’t happen all that often, and a disc of “very English” Christmas repertoire may be rarest of all. However, the top-tier Stuttgart-based SWR Vokalensemble is one group for whom this sort of thing is not so unusual. In fact they’ve not only recorded several discs that feature works by British composers such as Britten, MacMillan, and Vaughan Williams (including his rarely recorded Mass in G minor); they’ve gone where even American choirs fear to tread, recording the complete choral works of Elliott Carter(!), ten of Ives’ Psalm settings, and a disc of American works that includes pieces by Cage, Reich, and Feldman.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe program itself, chosen with obvious care by one who knows his way around the repertoire, is marked by first-rate performances that stand solidly alongside similar offerings by this ensemble’s “native” British counterparts. As good as the program and performances are, potential listeners may find the disc’s curious, cursory title misleading: “Christmas Carols” does not accurately describe the program at hand. While the music is almost exclusively Christmas-themed, only perhaps three of the 19 selections (to be generous) could be labeled as “carols” in the traditional sense. Although the liner notes do include a very brief but informed history of the true carol, our attention is quickly directed to the “carol” as it’s come to be identified via inclusion in the popular annual carol service at King’s College, Cambridge: that is, virtually any choral piece—original or arrangement—with a sacred, Christmas-centered text. The programming here all makes sense when you know that conductor Marcus Creed is not only British, but was a student and former singer at King’s College.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust looking at the list of composers, most of whom are as English as they come—Boris Ord, Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells, David Willcocks—and the works at hand, each one ingrained in the very soul of every English-speaking, Christmas-music-loving listener—sets you up for what you hope will be an hour of pure pleasure, born of the special traditions of a season that is uniquely associated with its music. And, be it from Germany or Lower Slobovia, it doesn’t matter: this program does not disappoint.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhether you choose this for the iconic repertoire—Ord’s Adam Lay Ybounden; Britten’s A Hymn to the Virgin; Howells’ A Spotless Rose; Thomas Ravenscroft’s Remember O Thou Man; David Willcocks’ Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day; Elisabeth Poston’s Jesus Christ the Apple Tree; Holst’s In the Bleak Midwinter—or just for the world-class singing (hopefully both!), you can be assured of a listening experience that will endure many hearings throughout the entire season—and the next. This choir knows the music well and obviously enjoys singing it, demonstrating a mastery of both language and style.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe program’s one non-English-language work is Robert Parsons’ Latin-texted Ave Maria—a most welcome inclusion of one of the 16th century’s greatest masterpieces, and a highlight of the disc. Another plus: the all-too-rare inclusion of a list of publishers of each work (choral directors, take note). Highly recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e – ClassicsToday.com (David Vernier)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWR","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013401170154,"sku":"747313909483","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3842115-2599099.jpg?v=1786716699"},{"product_id":"rutter-psalmfest-lucas-choirs-of-st-albans-59978","title":"Rutter: Psalmfest \/ Lucas, Choirs of St. Albans, Royal Philharmonic","description":"The psalms of David have been a source of inspiration to composers for centuries, each text forming a poetic shape the equivalent of a gothic arch, and expressing a broad range of timeless emotions. Recorded here for the first time in its complete form, John Rutter’s  \u003ci\u003ePsalmfest\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of nine settings for full orchestra as rich and varied as the original texts. The remaining psalm settings were written for special occasions, including the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013452779754,"sku":"747313339471","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3329989.jpg?v=1786702392"},{"product_id":"advent-live-vol-2-choir-of-st-397294","title":"Advent Live, Vol. 2 \/ Nethsingha, Choir of St. John’s College Cambridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe sublime Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge return with the second volume in their Advent series - celebrating the advent season from within the Christian tradition; a season celebrated since at least the sixth century. This splendid live recording, from within the Chapel of St. John’s College itself, features Christmas favorites, including Britten’s Deo Gracias from A Ceremony of Carols as well as gorgeous performances of lesser known works by modern composers including Jonathan Dove, Arvo Pärt and Paul Manz. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge (link is external) is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world – known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and over 90 recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, its expressive interpretations and its ability to sing in a variety of styles. Alongside this discipline, the Choir is particularly proud of its happy, relaxed and mutually supportive atmosphere. The Choir is directed by Andrew Nethsingha following in a long line of eminent Directors of Music, recently Dr George Guest, Dr Christopher Robinson and Dr David Hill.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Advent Live, Vol 2’ is a real album, the mystery and expectation of Advent coursing through a repertoire that never stoops below this ensemble’s judicious idea of what constitutes high-quality music, whatever the century. There is unhackneyed Telemann, Wolf, Goldschmidt, Britten and some poised works, new to me, by McCabe, Milner and Manz. Cecilia McDowall’s A Prayer to St John the Baptist brilliantly unifies otherwise autonomous organ and choir. Judith Bingham’s introduction to Hark, the glad sound! is like a modernist narthex to an ancient cathedral. The qualities of the choir hardly need repeating. It sounds like a string quartet flexing as much as an organ breathing, with no room for show or antiquated ‘look at us’ habits.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e– Gramophone\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013452845290,"sku":"635212066126","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3867632-2625815.jpg?v=1786656661"},{"product_id":"love-enfolds-thee-round-tenet-vocal-artists-397246","title":"Love Enfolds Thee Round \/ Tenet Vocal Artists","description":"TENET Vocal Artists, NYC’s prëeminent early music ensemble, releases a Christmas disc of music spanning medieval to modern day repertoire. TENET’s pristine, one-on-a-part singing lends itself well to both well-known and rarely heard songs and carols featured in this recording. New compositions and fresh arrangements make \"Love Enfolds Thee Round\" a stand-out among holiday recordings, Each member of the ensemble is well featured, creating an intimate sound-world to celebrate the holiday season. Preëminent New York City-based early music ensemble TENET Vocal Artists has won acclaim for its innovative programming, virtuosic singing and command of repertoire that spans the Middle Ages to the present day. Highlights of recent seasons include performances of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christ-mas Oratorio and motets, Handel’s Messiah, a three-year cycle of Carlo Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories, music by, for, and about 17th century Italian women, and programs exploring medieval repertoire. TENET's highly praised Green Mountain Project gave performances of Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and other Vespers for a decade, culminating in a finale performance in Venice, Italy in January 2020. TENET Vocal Artists performs at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Caramoor, Columbia University, Yale University, and numerous venues in and around New York. 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From Parisian inspiration to a Belfast home, this recital programme ranges from Britten's Interlude to songs newly arranged with harp accompaniment, and Alwyn's virtuosic flute and harp duet, Naiades.","brand":"Convivium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025287893226,"sku":"726436300261","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4503256-3553372.jpg?v=1786661896"},{"product_id":"this-place-1","title":"This Place","description":"Imperial College Chamber Choir and conductor Patrick Allies present This Place, a beautifully-curated programme of choral works exploring themes of home, belonging, spiritual refuge, love, respite and peace. While the theme relates principally to the repertoire, it also acknowledges the chamber choir's own position within Imperial College London, and the musical home that it's members find in the choir.","brand":"Convivium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025289761002,"sku":"726436300278","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4503257-3553373.jpg?v=1786631695"},{"product_id":"herbert-howells-partsongs","title":"Herbert Howells: Partsongs","description":"SOMM Recordings is proud to present The Mira Ensemble, taking it's name from the Latin word meaning \"wonderful\" or \"admirable\" and comprising professional singers from across the UK. The group was founded in 2025 to champion the extensive, yet little known and often-neglected body of music for upper voices. Their debut disc focuses on the upper-voices repertoire by Herbert Howells, and it features entirely premiere recordings that shine a light on a rarely discussed part of his output. The ensemble is directed by Newcastle-born conductor, composer, academic, editor, and orchestrator Tom Edney. They're accompanied by pianist Nick Salwey, who has performed live on BBC Radio 3, ITV, Channel 4, and Classic FM. Nick taught at Oxford, Eton College, and Winchester College, where he was Head of Piano from 2005 to 2025, and where he continues to teach and work as accompanist.    Herbert Howells (1892-1983) composed a significant body of lyrical, often pastoral partsongs characterized by rich harmony and expressive text-setting. Early partsongs featured on this disc include The Shepherd, a setting of William Blake; A Croon from an old cradle song; An Old Man's Lullaby by Elizabethan Thomas Dekker; and A Tinker's Song, an anonymous old London song from 1667.    Two unison songs from the 1920s-an old rhyme The Wonderful Derby Ram and a Spanish Lullaby-hint at Howells's own childhood singing experiences. A Golden Lullaby is another setting of An Old Man's Lullaby by Dekker, and Howells's different approaches to voicing are striking. My Master Hath a Garden, on an anonymous text, reflects the influence of Gustav Holst, while the old rhyme Sing Ivy evokes some of Holst's folk song arrangements-though it shifts midway to a sound reminiscent of Tudor keyboard music. Howells's interest in dance forms grew from his fascination with English Tudor music, and he adopted a Sarabande in setting a text by the late-Elizabethan Thomas Campion, Tune thy Music.    In the early 1930s, Howells dedicated a setting of one of Walter de la Mare's miniatures, Bunches of Grapes, to his two children. In similarly light-hearted vein, Sea Urchins with texts by Gladys Balcomb describes a seaside holiday across ten movements. Two poetic meditations on Elizabeth texts-Sweet Content by Robert Greene and To Music Bent by Campion-also come from this decade. Howells lost his nine-year-old son to polio in 1935, and Piping down the Valleys Wild-William Blake's depiction of a divine child asking the piper to continue to play-is the bittersweet offering of a grieving parent.    Howells composed fewer upper-voices partsongs after the Second World War. Featured among these are The Key of the Kingdom, another de la Mare text adapted from an old rhyme; Pink Almond, with a text by the Irish writer Katharine Tynan, in Sarabande form; and the delightful A Christmas Carol, to a text by 17th century writer George Wither, composed on Christmas Day in 1957.","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025292677354,"sku":"748871072527","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4507253-3562900.jpg?v=1786631980"},{"product_id":"leonardo-shaping-the-invisible","title":"Leonardo: Shaping the Invisible","description":"The 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci falls on May 2, 2019. Probably the greatest polymath of all time, Leonardo was also a musician and revered music as the only serious rival for his divine 'science' of painting. Marking this significant anniversary and the legacy of this forward-thinking 'Renaissance Man, ' I Fagiolini combines art, music and science in Leonardo: Shaping the Invisible, a major new touring and recording project conceived with Leonardo expert Professor Martin Kemp. Inspired by Leonardo's relentless curiosity, 'Shaping the Invisible' explores his best-loved images through the prism of music by Tallis, Howells, Victoria, Bach, Monteverdi, Janequin, and more. The project also includes a new commission from composer Adrian Williams and Gillian Clarke, the former National Poet of Wales, provoked by Leonardo's scientific discoveries. In true I Fagiolini style, there are a few post-production surprises in store, whilst the concert tour includes projections of Leonardo's beautiful art.","brand":"Coro","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026475897066,"sku":"828021617126","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3907524.jpg?v=1786691259"},{"product_id":"magnificat-nethsingha-choir-of-st-johns-college-280879","title":"Magnificat \/ Nethsingha, Choir of St. John's College","description":"Magnificat \u0026amp; Nunc Dimittis was recorded to explore the breadth of imagination with which composers have approached the texts, which have been sung in Christian worship for over 1000 years. Stanford’s starting point was the Germanic symphonic tradition; Howells took his inspiration from the architecture and acoustics of the Cathedral in Gloucester; Tippett was inspired by the unique Spanish trumpet stop at St John’s. The Evening Canticles chosen for this record relate to a particular period of music making in the life of St John’s conductor, Andrew Nethsingha; his time at the Royal College of Music; at Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals, and lastly his time at St John’s. Founded in the 1670s, The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge, is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world – known and loved by millions for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, expressive interpretations and ability to sing in a variety of styles.","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46026585735402,"sku":"635212058824","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3726486-2506171.jpg?v=1786693054"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/herbert-howells.oembed?page=2","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}