Herbert Howells: Hymnus Paradisi / An English Mass

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Howells was one of English music's great "might have beens." He established himself early on in the '20s and '30s, but the death of his only son dealt him a personal blow from which he never fully recovered. The Hymnus Paradisi is Howell's memorial tribute to his child, and it was years before his friends could persuade him to permit the work to be performed. As might well be imagined, it's a masterpiece of the first rank, and a deeply moving experience. Its success encouraged him to continue writing, and he completed several other extraordinary choral works, but posterity was denied the large body of music that he surely could have written. As you can hear for yourself, it was our loss. --David Hurwitz, ISBN13: B000002ZPE ISBN10: B000002ZPE Material Type: audioCD