The title Missa Sabrinensis, meaning 'Mass of the Severn', links Howells's birthplace, early musical training, and Worcester Cathedral, which stands on the River Severn.
Composer Biography
Herbert Howells (1892-1983) is primarily known for his liturgical choral music within the Anglican cathedral tradition, though this represents only a fraction of his total output.
Composition History
Howells's Missa Sabrinensis was commissioned for the 1954 Worcester Three Choirs Festival after the success of his earlier work, Hymnus Paradisi.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For Howells, the Missa Sabrinensis, like his earlier Hymnus Paradisi, was a way of memorializing his lost son, Michael, personalizing the work's biblical origins.
Compositional Technique
Howells's Mass is complex, often resembling a choral symphony where soloists, chorus, and orchestra build significant blocks of sound as contrapuntal forces, rather than the orchestra merely supporting the chorus.
Composition History
The score of Missa Sabrinensis was nearly lost when Howells's bag was stolen and thrown from a train, but it was miraculously retrieved by police.
Recording & Production
This recording of Missa Sabrinensis aims to present Howells's Mass as he originally intended, with all its intricate detail, thanks to careful editing and advances in recording techniques.
