Search - Herbert Howells, Christopher Robinson, Iain Farrington :: Howells: Requiem; Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing

Simply grand

Gary A. Clark | florida | 05/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tremendous clarity and musicianship from all concerned. If this Howells is your cup of tea then go to his 'Hymnus Paradisi" which is based on his requiem recorded here. The man's music stirs my soul"

Howell's music as it should be sung

Kariba | Vancouver, BC | 12/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I enjoy the many superb recordings of Howells' music done by professional choirs -- the Finzi Singers and Corydon Singers come to mind -- there is much to be said for hearing it performed by a cathedral choir (or in this case college choir) with boy trebles. St John's choir is in fine form in this recording. The Requiem is one of Howells' most moving pieces, and it is sung beautifully here. Other notable pieces include Like as the Hart and Take Him, Earth, For Cherishing -- commissioned for the memorial service of JFK at the Washington Cathedral. More than 75 minutes of superb music at the Naxos price, make this a double bargain."

Generally very good performances of some attractive music

G.D. | Norway | 12/14/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Howells's Requiem is staple fare on disc, and this performance from the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge is thoughtful and finely sung but no match for the depth and/or fervor of some of its competitors; part of it is that some of the sections are taken a little to fast - it seems like the Cambridge singers are afraid to linger too much in the more reflective parts, which is something of a pity. It is still an impressive rendition of a moving work that deserves to be heard if you do not already know it. The performance of the Requiem is followed by a setting of the Office of Holy Communion which is distinctly less interesting - a standard, uninventive setting that will appeal to the most ardent choral buff and no one else (in between them is the somewhat nondescript Long, long ago) Again, the performances sound very fine, but again they also sound slightly rushed - for my part, I am only so happy to get past it, but I doubt this was the point.



In the rest of the works, the choir sounds exactly right with a beautiful sound and thoughtful interpretations. They give a beautiful performance of the delectable anthem Like as the hart, a really attractive version of Howells' fine setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis and a truly stirring interpretation of the well-known masterpiece Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing. The organ solo works are excellently played by Iain Farrington. It is all excellently recorded, and this disc can be strongly recommended if the programme appeals - stylistically, Howells is firmly rooted in the tradition from, say, Vaughan Williams, but he takes it all a step further with slightly more challenging harmonic proceedings and slightly sharper textures. The end results are, however, usually engaging and inventive and, as is the case with his choral works, even stirring."