Herbert Howells Stabat Mater

[Guest]

2.00 Sunday Concert
Twentieth century British music from King's College Cambridge
John Daszak (tenor)
Philharmonia Chorus
BBC Concert Orchestra/Stephen Cleobury
Howells Stabat Mater

A rare chance to hear this work. It was recorded in King's last week and there was some wonderful singing
from the chorus. I hope that the BBC has captured the intensity and excitement of the occasion which also included
Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem and another rarity, Lennox Berkeley's Four Poems of St Teresa of Avila, sung by Catherine
Wyn-Rogers.

[Suffolkcoastal]

The Howells is a terrific work and his last large scale composition. Nice to see it get a rare broadcast. Hopefully the Missa Sabriensis will also be performed and broadcast soon. Both of these works will hopefully get a Proms outing soon to follow on the success of Hymnus Paradisi last year.

[EdgeleyRob]

I will certainly catch this on i player,thanks .

[BBMmk2]

Yes, me too! I have the Chandos recording, and HH's music, is always rather special, imo.

[Simon Biazeck]

Thanks for the post moeranbiogman! This is a work I know well and I jumped at the chance to hear it. I know the Chandos rec. well, and apart from Neil Archer's fine account of the solo tenor part, a well drilled chorus, and the obvious pedigree of the LSO players, it doesn't have much to recommend it, the blame for which I lay firmly at Rozhdestvensky's feet. His lack of willingness to reh. is notorious and if anything needs careful preparation and firm guidance, it's Howells's music.

But here there were some revelations of clarity here, particularly in the orchestration - some percussion I have barely heard before; haunting bells and piano doubling low pizz. strings. The bloom on offer in the KKC chapel was very welcome - ideal! The chorus sounded fine and I may have detected a little pro stiffening, but it made for a round and well balanced sound whatever the case. Soprano semichorus at quando corpus morietur was very beautiful.

Huge applause for mounting this difficult work but I'm not sure this performance got to the bottom of it - it just sort of marked time, especially in the exquisite 4th mvt. 'Eia, Mater', and in the extraordinary choral writing at O quam tristis. The solo tenor part is titanic and just staying afloat is a feat. Daszak's plangent tone was quite effective and apt, except when it tipped into noticeable strain, but he has my full respect for his pluck and metallic resilience. Is there anyone here who heard Bob Tear give the first performance? Not me, alas - not yet hatched!

A Howells Missa Sabrinensis Prom would be fabulous!

[BBMmk2]

Any Howells late works are always worth hearing, even its a mundane performance.

[Simon Biazeck]

Any Howells late works are always worth hearing, even its a mundane performance.

I quite agree, hence the rush to listen, as I will again soon. Personally I can't get enough of the early orchestral works - Suite: The B's, Piano Concerto No. 1, Elegy for solo Viola and String Orchestra. Have you heard Winchester Cathedral Choir's late Howells cd on Hyperion? It's very fine!

[Historian]

The chorus sounded fine and I may have detected a little pro stiffening, but it made for a round and well balanced sound whatever the case. Soprano semichorus at quando corpus morietur was very beautiful.

Recently the Philharmonia Chorus has adopted a 'pro-am' model, as pioneered by some of the symphonic choirs in the United States. This is according to their website:

The Chorus combines amateur singers drawn from all walks of life, young professional singers from our own Professional Singers Scheme, and students from our Students Scheme. This structure generates the high quality sound for which the Chorus is famous.

The idea is to have a unified sound, although some of the sharp ears on the forum have evidently detected some slight differences.

Personally, I felt that the balance of the recording of the concert seemed to favour the B.B.C. Concert orchestra over the Chorus in places. Still, a splendid work, well worth hearing more often.

[Simon Biazeck]

The idea is to have a unified sound, although some of the sharp ears on the forum have evidently detected some slight differences.

Personally, I felt that the balance of the recording of the concert seemed to favour the B.B.C. Concert orchestra over the Chorus in places. Still, a splendid work, well worth hearing more often.

Thanks. Very interesting. I must stress that as I said above I thought the perceived mix made for a 'round and well balanced sound' and by 'fine' I meant very good not just ok.

I agree the band was often to the fore, as much as I enjoyed the detail, and would have preferred to hear more of the vocal counterpoint. I marvel and wonder at the job of sound engineers to present a balanced picture on these occasions. They seem able to bring out instrumental detail by way of separate mic. placement (either suspended or on the platform) but for obvious reasons this is not possible with choruses. I'm sure the balance was different in the chapel. I have done professional opera chorus (Anna Nicole at the ROH, and Adams' El Niño at the Châtelet) where selected members of the chorus have been fitted with radio mic's to address balance issues, but that's not quite the same.

'Tis a splendid work and although as an avowed Howells obesessive, I am biased, I would love to hear much more of HH's big choral works. I'm sure choruses and audiences find them difficult and challenging, but it's well worth the effort, in my book!

[EdgeleyRob]

I quite agree, hence the rush to listen, as I will again soon. Personally I can't get enough of the early orchestral works - Suite: The B's, Piano Concerto No. 1, Elegy for solo Viola and String Orchestra. Have you heard Winchester Cathedral Choir's late Howells cd on Hyperion? It's very fine!

Neither can I SB.
Often after tough days I turn to them for solace.

[Simon Biazeck]

Neither can I SB.
Often after tough days I turn to them for solace.

Which reminds me ...

[BBMmk2]

I quite agree, hence the rush to listen, as I will again soon. Personally I can't get enough of the early orchestral works - Suite: The B's, Piano Concerto No. 1, Elegy for solo Viola and String Orchestra. Have you heard Winchester Cathedral Choir's late Howells cd on Hyperion? It's very fine!

Yes, i have all the nabove mentioned wortks, plus that Winchester cd as well!

[EdgeleyRob]

I listened earlier this evening and thought it was wonderful.
I imagine hearing this live would be quite an experience.