Seller's comment :
The British Music Collection: Herbert Howells / Stephen Cleobury
Release Date: 04/09/2001
Label: Decca Catalog #: 470 194 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Herbert Howells
Performer: Peter Barley, Stephen Cleobury, Gregory Moore, Simon Williams
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 18 Mins.
Works on This Recording
1. Te Deum and Jubilate "Collegium Regale" by Herbert Howells
Performer: Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1944; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 11 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Latin
2. Office of Holy Communion "Collegium Regale" by Herbert Howells
Performer: Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1956; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 19 Minutes 24 Secs.
3. Psalm-Preludes (3) for Organ, Set 1, Op. 32: no 2, Psalm 37 - Verse 11 by Herbert Howells
Performer: Stephen Cleobury (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1915-1916; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 5 Minutes 42 Secs.
4. Preces and Responses no 1 by Herbert Howells
Performer: Gregory Moore (Cantor), Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1967; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 2 Minutes 12 Secs.
5. Psalm 121 by Herbert Howells
Performer: Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
6. Psalm 122 by Herbert Howells
Performer: Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 2 Minutes 37 Secs.
7. Magnificat and Nunc dimittis "Collegium Regale": Magnificat by Herbert Howells
Performer: Simon Williams (Tenor), Gregory Moore (Cantor), Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1944; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 5 Minutes 12 Secs.
8. Magnificat and Nunc dimittis "Collegium Regale": Nunc dimittis by Herbert Howells
Performer: Simon Williams (Tenor), Gregory Moore (Cantor), Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 4 Minutes 5 Secs.
9. Preces and Responses no 2 by Herbert Howells
Performer: Gregory Moore (Cantor), Peter Barley (Organ)
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1967; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 7 Minutes 44 Secs.
10. Take him, earth, for cherishing by Herbert Howells
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge King's College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1964; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 8 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: English
11. Rhapsodies (3) for Organ, Op. 17: no 3 in C sharp minor by Herbert Howells
Performer: Stephen Cleobury (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1918; England
Date of Recording: 03/1989
Venue: Chapel, King's College, Cambridge
Length: 8 Minutes 26 Secs.
Notes and Editorial Reviews
Here is one of those good ideas that look perfectly obvious once they have been thought of, and similarly their putting into practice seems long overdue the moment it has actually happened. 'Howells's music for King's, recorded by King's': perhaps everybody assumed that it must have been done before. The famous choir have, of course, recorded the various parts of the Collegium Regale services before now, but here they are assembled, and to some extent can be seen to constitute a single work. In as far as that is a tenable proposition, it might be strengthened by placing the three constituents (Morning, Evening and Holy Communion services) in chronological order of composition, for the Communion Service (1956) looks back, and even uses the opening bars of the Magnificat as a kind of motto-theme. And yet the order as given here (Matins, Communion, Evensong) may be more satisfactory after all, for the climax of everything surely does come with the Evening Service's Gloria, with Howells at his strongest and the resources of choir and organ put to purposes of such a mighty splendour.
The performances are splendid too, and not least in the organ parts, finely played by Peter Barley, in which there is a very special and characteristic beauty. The flutey pastoral writing of certain passages ('For the Lord is gracious' in the Jubilate, 'Blessed is he' in the Communion Service, for instance) captures, I think, Howells's love of cathedrals as buildings, in which the quiet playing of the organ so embodies the beauty of holiness. Then there is the deep bold colour of the great tuba stop at the end of the Jubilate's 'Gloria'. But how typical that 'Gloria' is, and how finely the Choir gives bloom to the sound—'and ever shall be', opening out like a rose-window in a blaze of light. Just occasionally in these recordings it seemed that a still more refulgent choral sound would not come amiss; sometimes there even intrudes an edgy tone, almost a rasp, somewhere among the upper voices. But no: it is a splendid record, and that includes the music not written for King's, such as the profoundly inventive Preces and Responses. There are excellent notes by Christopher Palmer, and good notes of the other kind from Stephen Cleobury in the closing Rhapsody where his playing shows a keen appreciation of the music's dramatic character.
-- Gramophone [7/1992]
