John Sheppard - Cantate Mass: The Sixteen
Two discs and only 4 of 20 tracks are the Cantate mass - there's also a good range of motets including many of Sheppard's best known pieces, such as the Christmas motet Verbum caro factus est and the beautiful Libera nos. If you need convincing of Sheppard's genius, just listen to the Amen of Jesu salvator saeculi, redemptis - taken individually some of the lines sound positively 20th century in their modernity, and in combination it takes your breath away - it's hard not to say 'he can't do that!' - but he does. Perhaps the only criticism is that the Sixteen underplay the clashes so they aren't quite as shocking as they could be. Even so, probably the best introduction to Sheppard now on the market.
CDs by Herbert Howells
1892 - 1983
Herbert Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucester on 17 October 1892. At the age of eighteen he became a pupil of Herbert Brewer, Organist of Gloucester Cathedral. In 1912 he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and studied under Charles Villiers Stanford, Walter Parratt, Charles Wood and Hubert Parry. In 1920, after ill-health forced him to relinquish his position as sub-organist of Salisbury Cathedral, Howells returned to the RCM to teach composition, an occupation which was to interest him until the end of his life. Howells also taught at St Paul's Girls' School, Hammersmith, and, in 1950, was appointed King Edward VII Professor of Music at London University.
After writing his choral work Hymnus Paradisi, much of it derived from the Requiem for his son who died in infancy, he turned largely to church music with a series of compositions setting Mass texts and Canticles, most notably the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. Over twenty settings are known of which the settings for King's College, Cambridge (Collegium Regale), St Paul's and Gloucester Cathedrals are among the finest. Herbert Howells died in London on 23 February 1983 at the age of 90.
Evening Canticles
The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were probably the ultimate musical form for Howells - he produced a string of evocative, haunting settings of these paired canticles for various cathedrals. Here the choir of Selwyn, Cambridge really bring out the heart and the subtlety of this remarkable music.
Sarum, St Augustine's, Birmingham, Winchester, Worcester, Gloucester
B minor
Requiem
St John's Cambridge give an excellent interpretation of Howells' Requiem, and throw in a Mag & Nunc (St Pauls), a Communion service (Collegium Regale), various organ pieces and one of Howell's most delightful anthems, the very moving Like As the Hart. Not only this, but it's a bargain price CD.
