Of the vast musical repertoire choirs are blessed to sing, sacred British choral works stand as among the most beloved. A quick glance at BMPC’s music library reveals dozens of titles by the likes of Parry, Bainton, Stanford, Britten, Howells, Bairstow, and others. It is worth noting that some of the most positive feedback I receive from the congregation is about this repertoire! For example, Herbert Howells’ “Like as the Hart,” Charles H.H. Parry’s “I Was Glad,” and Edgar Bainton’s “And I Saw a New Heaven” are works that are always praised and appreciated.
We are delighted to present these works, along with some of the most powerful works of the British choral canon, in a concert titled “20th Century British Choral Masterpieces this Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m. We will join forces with the choir of Church of the Redeemer. An offering will be received to support both choir’s concert tours this summer.
I want to highlight the largest work at Sunday’s concert, Herbert Howells’ astonishing “An English Mass.” Scored for choir, soloists, orchestra, and organ, this work was composed in 1955 for one of the leading musicians of that era, Harold Darke. Howells and Darke shared a particular love for seventeenth-century music. While Howells’ musical language is decidedly neo-Romantic in flavor, his rapport with earlier music is particularly evident in this work. What also comes through is the cathartic nature of much of the writing. You see, in 1938, Howells’ son Michael died of polio at the age of nine. From that moment on, every work he composed was influenced by the profound grief of a parent losing a child.
One moment, in particular, stands out in “An English Mass.” In the movement setting the Creed, Howells takes the text “And I look for the resurrection of the dead” and sets it for a solo soprano. In the sacred British choral tradition, the soprano part was nearly always sung by boy sopranos. At this moment in the Creed, Howells’ grief is temporarily assuaged by the sound of a single treble voice, clearly representing his son, Michael.
This is powerful music and among the most challenging works ever presented by the choir. Sunday’s concert, sung by over 100 singers and 21 orchestral musicians, will surely lift your spirits! I do hope you will attend, along with your friends and family members. Following the concert, enjoy a reception in the court, honoring the choirs and Barbara Berry, the artist of the current gallery show “Rhythm and Light.”
