President : Sir David Willcocks

(as NEWSLETTER NO.26 : 09/10

HERBERT HOWELLS SOCIETY

PRESIDENT : SIR DAVID WILLCOCKS

VICE-PRESIDENTS

Revd Dr Paul Andrews Dr Harry Bramma James O’Donnell Dr Stephen Cleobury CBE

Dr David Hill Hilary Macnamara Dr Michael Gough Matthews Patrick Russill

Dr John Scott LVO Howard Shelley Paul Spicer

HONORARY PATRONS

Dr John Birch Dr Denys Darlow Dr Donald Hunt OBE Richard Lloyd

Dr Roy MasseyMBE Richard Popplewell LVO Dr Christopher Robinson CVO CBE

Edwin Roxburgh DrRichard Seal Angus Watson

OVERSEAS

Professor Peter Godfrey, New Zealand Dr Gerre Hancock, USA Dr H June Nixon, Australia

Dr Barry Smith, South Africa Professor Hugh McLean, Canada

OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

Chairman: Dr Martin Neary LVO.

Secretary: Andrew Millinger, 32 Barleycroft Road, WelwynGarden City,

Herts AL8 6JU

Tel : 01707 335315 E mail :

Treasurer: Robert Ascott, 17 Staveley Court, 9 Staveley Road, Eastbourne, BN 20 7 JS

Tel 01323 728892 E mail : PLEASE NOTE NEW E MAIL ADDRESS

Membership Secretary :

Ros Saunders, 7 TempleWest Mews, West Square, London SE 11 4 TJ

Tel : 020 7820 8376

E mail :

North American Membership Secretary:

Dr Jane Gamble:

Committee Members : Andrew Lumsden Dr John Rutter CBE

Legal Adviser : Graham Field Honorary Auditor : Paul Houston

[1] VICE-PRESIDENTS, HONORARY PATRONS, COMMITTEE AND CHAIRMAN

Our Chairman celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert in St John’s Smith Square, London, at which he conducted a performance of Howells’ “By the waters of Babylon”. See item [6] below.

[2] THE SOCIETY’S AGM AND ANNUAL HOWELLS EVENSONG : SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2009 IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY

The Society’s Annual General Meeting and Howells Evensong was held last year in Westminster Abbey on Saturday 10th October.

The Abbey Choir was conducted by Sub Organist, Robert Quinney, and the organ was played by the Assistant Organist, James McVinnie. Music included the Westminster Service Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis of 1957, the Kennedy Motet (Take Him, Earth for Cherishing) and the first performance since about 1914 of “Cradle Song” for organ. This was the surviving piece from “Two pieces for organ” and the work is about to be published by Novello in October as part of a compendium volume.

This is a project organised by the Organists’ Charitable Trust (previously the Organists’ Benevolent Fund). See item below.

Before Evensong, the AGM was held in Cheynegates. After Evensong, there was a reception there at which Robert Quinney and James McVinnie joined members for wine and canapés.

[3] AGM AND HOWELLS EVENSONG IN GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL : SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER

This year, we are visiting Gloucester Cathedral for our Annual General Meeting and Howells Evensong. This will be our second visit, the first being in 1994. We are also, with the assistance of the Royal Forest of Dean Herbert Howells Society, organising a visit by coach to Lydney, to see the Parish Church, the Baptist Church where Howells’ father played the organ and the house in which he lived as a young boy (and a visit to the room which was his bedroom). The timing for the day is as follows :

• Members to try to arrive at Gloucester Cathedral by around 10.45 to 11.00. Parking should be available for at least some members’ cars, probably up to 10. (If you would like to apply for permission to park, please let me know on the reply form. “First come, first served”)
• A coach will depart from outside the gates of the cathedral at 11.15 to travel to Lydney. This takes about 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
• As there will not be time to accommodate lunch in the schedule, members are requested either to take a picnic lunch which can be consumed during the tour, or to get something to eat before joining the coach, or on return to the cathedral (before the AGM) NB There is a café close to the Parliament Room at the West end of the cathedral.
• We shall be met at LydneyParishChurch at around 11.45 / 12.00 by a member of the Royal Forest of Dean Herbert Howells Society. The Forest of Dean Society organised the installation of a plaque to Howells in the chancel. Howells was a chorister and frequently played at the church, and was reputedly a rather better organist than the official incumbent.
• After this, we travel to the BaptistChurch in Lydney where Howells’ father had been the Organist, and where Herbert played the organ. We are promised a cup of tea and possibly a biscuit here.
• Next door is the Howells family house. This was until recently a furnishings shop, but has recently changed hands. Arrangements have been made for members to visit the house and to view the small room on the first floor at the back of the house which was Herbert’s bedroom.
• We expect to be able to depart for Gloucester at around 14.00, arriving back around 14.30 / 14.45
• The plan is then to hold the AGM in the Parliament Room (an historic room adjoining the West end of the cathedral) at around 15.15. This will be followed by tea at 15.45. We may be joined by some members of the Forest of Dean Society for tea.
• We go into the cathedral at 16.15 for Evensong at 16.30. Seats will be reserved for us.
• Music at Evensong will include the Gloucester Service Mag & Nunc, the Howells Responses and “Behold O God our Defender” as Introit. The anthem will be “Take Him Earth for Cherishing”. We may be able to hear one of Howells’ unpublished chants to the Psalm. We are fortunate that Gloucester is one of the few cathedrals to have the Howells Responses in its repertoire, and it will be good to hear them again.
• Organ music is expected to include Psalm Prelude Set 1 No. 2, and after the service, “Master Tallis’s Testament”.
• The day will end at around 17.30, permitting those who have a long way to travel to leave straightaway, or stay for a drink with members of the committee at a local hostelry.

We need to have numbers for the coach by Thursday 7th Octoberat the latest in order to be able to hire a suitable capacity vehicle. We shall also need to know numbers for tea / biscuits and Evensong at the same time

Please fill in the reply form attached to this newsletter as soon as you can and return it to arrive no later than Thursday 7th October.

[4] THE HERBERT HOWELLS TRUST

The past year has yet again been a very busy year for both the Trust and the Society. Work on the Reversionary Rights continues, and it is hoped to have given the Music Sales Group (Novello, Thames, Curwen, Edwin Ashdown, Edward Arnold, etc) formal permission to continue publishing works first published between 1911 and 1957. These are technically being published illegally currently so we are putting the matter right.

I have also been involved in a large number of applications for various projects, most of which have required official permission from the Trust. These include :

Finding a readable manuscript of “Serenade” (the last movement of Suite for Strings orchestra Opus 27) so that an American group can give the first performance in the USA of this piece. It is hoped to be able to derive parts from this project in order to facilitate getting the piece published. (NB It was recorded by Richard Hickox in the 1990s, but the score and parts had disappeared for some years. I found them amongst papers inherited from the late Christopher Palmer).

The intention of the ensemble (Arco Ensemble) is to include this piece in a concert planned for 12 November. Please follow this link for further information : arcoensemble.org

I am very much involved in the negotiations between the Trust and Howells’ various publishers relating to the Reversionary Rights, and to renewal of rights in the USA. This involves drafting letters to be sent to publishers regularising their publishing of pieces written between 1911 and 1957. While this is not of much significance to members, it is essential that publishers are abiding by the laws relating to reversionary rights. The rules relating to copyright in the USA are different from those in the UK and most Commonwealth countries. They are different again in Western Europe.

I deal regularly with a lot of enquiries about recordings, how to get hold of relatively less well known pieces by Howells, permission to perform unpublished works, information on performances, permission for various people to use unpublished letters or notes by Howells, “sleeve notes” etc. Some of these require “official” permission from the Trust.

Interest in Howells is certainly increasing as this was a smaller part of my work in earlier years.

[5] THE WHEREABOUTS OF ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHED MANUSCRIPTS BY HOWELLS

Arising from a suggestion that an attempt be made to produce an electronic copy of all autographed manuscripts of Howells to be placed e.g. in the RCM Library, Dr Paul Andrews and I have undertaken a review of all manuscripts which are held outside the RCM. This includes being held in “public” bodies such as the British Library, BBC Music Library, RAM, Royal Scottish Academy, King’s and St John’s Colleges, the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and several cathedrals. These manuscripts are available for inspection by bona fide visitors wishing to research.

In addition, there are a number of original manuscripts held in private hands, either because they were donated by Howells, or because they were “commissioned”. Recipients include the late Sir Edward Heath and the late Dr Lionel Dakers.

In most cases, but not all, the music has been published, and there is no major reason to be concerned that the autographed ms is not in the RCM. In a few cases, the Society will endeavour to get access to ms which are not in the RCM so that as complete an archive as possible can be assembled.

Inevitably, however, there are some ms which came up for auction, and which now reside with unknown buyers. But the number of pieces which are not published and for which the ms are not available either, issmall.

[6] MARTIN NEARY’S BIRTHDAY CONCERT IN ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE IN MARCH

At the concert in St John’s Smith Square in March to celebrate our chairman’s 70th birthday, he chose to include “By the waters of Babylon”in the programme. This resulted in considerable interest and a number of favourable comments from people in the music business who were there.

[7] NEW MANUSCRIPTS COME TO LIGHT

I was contacted some months ago by someone in Canada who wrote :

QUOTE I am writing from the wilderness of Canada about some Herbert Howells manuscripts that have fallen into my hands via a Power of Attorney regarding my life partner’s mother (Ruth Walton) – Family name Ellinger – whose sister was given some pieces to play on the keyboard about Christmas 1931 and 1932 by HH.

This material consists of a single piece of musicpasted in a photograph album for Christmas 1931 titled 'The DinatubettyTune' presumably for the sisters Diana and Betty who were in their earlyteens. Secondly, there is a 'Universal Music Book' titled 'Three Tunesfor Diana From H.H. (Nov 1932). UNQUOTE

It is understood that copies of these ms have now been sent to the RCM Library.

As we have some representatives of the Ellinger family as members of the Society, and because of the interest by various people who think that they may be related to Howells, I thought that it would be worthwhile mentioning this. Any members who think that they may be related to the sisters mentioned here and who would like to contact the person concerned who wrote to me should contact me. (Please see item 11 below)

[8] RECORDINGS OF HOWELLS’ MUSIC

The past twelve months has seen quite a lot of activity in recordings of Howells’ choral music, with music being recorded by the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge, The Gentlemen of St John’s, the Rodolfus Choir (a select group of recent singers from the Eton Choral Courses) and Winchester Cathedral Choir, conducted by committee member, Andrew Lumsden.

[a]St John’sCollegeCambridge.

The recording from St John’sCollege, Cambridge, conducted by Andrew Nethsingha, was released earlier this year on the Chandos label as CHAN 10587. It has had excellent reviews, and mention has been made of the excellent performance of “By the waters of Babylon”, which members will remember was given probably only its second ever performance in 1992 during the Centenary concert in Westminster Abbey. St John’s College were fortunate to be able to secure Paul Whelan for the recording; he sang the baritone part in the Abbey. The violin is played by David Adams, and the ‘cello is played by Alice Neary, daughter of Chairman, Dr Martin Neary.

The disc also includes : Coll Reg Te Deum; the St John’s College Mag & Nunc (Sancti Johannes Cantabrigiensis), Like as the hart;Sequence for St Michael; the Gloucester Service Mag & Nunc; Salve Regina; A Spotless Rose; One thing have I desired, and the premiere recording of Grace for No. 10 Downing St . The CD also included the first recording of one of the four chants written for Dr Lionel Dakers in the 1970s and not currently published (copies provided to St John’s by the Howells Society). This was used for Psalm 142, and is performed unaccompanied.

I would also like to remind members that the Gentlemen of St John’s (basically the Choral Scholars, without the trebles) have made a recording which includes a rarity by Howells,The winds whistle cold, in its premiere recording. It is available on a CD which was released latelast year (SJCR 104-2) which can be purchased via the College’s web site. It includes several “outrageous” arrangements of well known Christmas pieces such as Silent Night and Mel Tormé’s “Christmas Song”. Very enjoyable.

Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music, He is the first

[b] Rodolfus Choir

The Rodolfus Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, with Tom Winpenny, organ, have recorded an all-Howells CD last year following a broadcast Choral Evensong from Douai Abbey which contained a lot of Howells. Repertoire for this CD includes the Grace for No.10 Downing St (using my set of copies!) and:

The Summer is Coming; Sweetest of Sweets; Sing Lullaby; One thing have I desired ; A SpotlessRose ; Antiphon ; Walking in the Snow ; Here is the little door ; God be in my head; Long, long ago ; Te Deum (Collegium Regale) ; Jubilate (Collegium Regale) ; Magnificat (Dallas Service) ; Nunc Dimittis (Dallas Service) ; A Hymn for St Cecilia

God be in my head andWalking in the snoware premiere recordings. The CDwas released on the Signum label as SIGCD 190at the end of April this year

[c] Winchester Cathedral Choir

The choir of Winchester Cathedral, under Andrew Lumsden (Director of Music) and with Simon Bell (Assistant Director of Music) on the organ have recorded an all–Howells CD for Hyperion. The pieces recorded are as follows :

Coventry Antiphon; Come, my soul; Te Deum (St Mary, Redcliffe); Winchester Mag and Nunc; Antiphon; Exultate Deo; The fear of the Lord; Jubilate (St Peter ad Vincula); Thee will I love.

And for organ solos:Flourish for a bidding Rhapsody No 4

This CDconsists mainly of rarely recorded items, so should be of great interest to Howells fans. At this stage, we do not have a release date.

[9] MUSIC IN PRINT

[a] Cradle Song (from “Two pieces for organ” 1913)

The Organists’ Charitable Trust (previously known as the Organists’ Benevolent Fund) celebrated its Centenary last year with a concert and reception in St Giles Church, Cripplegate in the City of London. The President is Dr Martin Neary.

As part of the celebrations, the Trust has organised publication of a new organ collection along the lines of the “Little Organ Book” to commemorate the life of Sir Hubert Parry around a Century ago.

The new book, which is being published by Novello, is due to be released in early October. Among the eleven pieces is Howells’ Cradle Song, published for the first time.Members are encouraged to look at the Music Sales web site for more details. The title is Organists Charitable Trust Little Organ Book

The price is. £9.95

[b] “God be in my head”

This is an unaccompanied choral piece (SATB) which was composed by Howells during a composition lesson for a student at the Royal College of Music in the 1960s. The pupil was Christopher Eaton Smith.

Patrick Russill, one of our Vice-Presidents, and Head of Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, has produced an edited version of this item and Novello published it earlier this year (NOV 959101)

At 17 bars, this is a short anthem most suitable as an Introit, or as an alternative at weddings to the Walford Davies and John Rutter settings.

I was involved, with the Trust and Patrick in getting hold of the original manuscript of the piece from Mr Eaton Smith, as the only photocopies of the ms were rather indistinct at a couple of crucial points in the piece. These were clarified and the piece finally edited by Patrick and released early in 2010.

Please note that the piece has received its first recording on the Rodolfus Choir’s Signum recording (see above)

[c] An English Mass

This choral & orchestral piece (which has been recorded only once, by Vernon Handley and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra for Hyperion (CDA 66488)) is for strings, organ and chorus. It suffers from the fact that the full score is not very legible and there are some discrepancies between the score and parts. Novello have concluded that a new performing edition is needed in order to increase the attractiveness of the piece to performers, both amateur and professional.