Howells, Herbert (Norman)

Howells, Herbert (Norman) (b Lydney, Glos., 1892; d London, 1983). Eng. composer, organist, and teacher. Mass in Dorian Mode perf. Westminster Cath. 1912. Sub-org., Salisbury Cath., 1917. Several comp. perf. at 3 Choirs Fests. in 1920s. Succeeded Holst as dir. of mus., St Paul's Girls' Sch., 1936–62, prof. of mus., London Univ., 1954–64. On staff RCM from 1920 (never retired and was teaching until late 1970s). Frequent adjudication at mus. fests. Org., St John's Coll., Cambridge, 1941–5. His work, influenced by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, has strong individuality, at its finest in the Missa Sabrinensis and at its most eloquent in the Hymnus Paradisi, where some affinity with the choral writing of Delius may be detected. One of few 20th cent. composers to write for clavichord. The pieces in his two major works for it are musical portraits of friends, incl. Herbert Lambert, Thomas Goff, Vaughan Williams, Finzi, etc. CBE 1954, CH 1972. Prin. works:ORCH.: Merry-Eye and Puck's Minuet (1917–20); Procession (1922); Pastoral Rhapsody (1923); pf. conc. No.1 (1913), No.2 (1925); Pageantry Suite, brass band (1934); Elegy for Strings (1937); Fantasia, vc., orch. (1937); Concerto for Strings (1938); Music for a Prince (1948); Three Figures, brass band (1960).CHORAL: Mass in the Dorian Mode (Missa sine nomine), unacc. ch. (1912); Sir Patrick Spens, bar., ch., orch. (1917); 3 Carol-Anthems, ch. (1918–20; No.2 is A Spotless Rose); Requiem, unacc. ch. (1932); A Kent Yeoman's Wooing Song, 2 soloists, ch., orch. (1933); Hymnus Paradisi, sop., ten., ch., orch. (1938, f.p. 1950); Missa Sabrinensis, sop., cont., ten., bar., double ch., orch. (1953); Inheritance (1953, in Garland for the Queen); St. Paul's Service (1954); An English Mass, ch., str., org. (1955); Stabat Mater, ten., ch., orch. (1963); Take him, earth, for cherishing (motet on the death of Pres. Kennedy) (1964); The Coventry Mass, ch., org. (1964).VOICE AND ACC.: 4 French Chansons, v., pf. (1918); In Green Ways, v., pf. (1915, rev. with orch. 1928); King David, v., pf. (1921); Sine Nomine, soloists, org., orch. (1922).CHAMBER MUSIC: pf. qt. in A minor (1916); Phantasy Quartet (1916–17); In Gloucestershire, str. qt. (1916–30); Rhapsodic Quintet, cl., str. (1919); vn. sonata (1923); cl. sonata (1946).ORGAN: 2 sonatas (1911, 1932); 3 Rhapsodies (1915–18), 4th Rhapsody (1958); Fugue, Chorale, and Epilogue (1939); Sarabande for the Morning of Easter (1940); Master Tallis's Testament (1940); De Profundis (1958).CLAVICHORD: Lambert's Clavichord, 12 pieces (1926–7); Howells's Clavichord, 20 pieces (1941–61).Also about 65 songs incl. several settings of De La Mare, of which King David (1921) is a favourite, and many sacred works.