Magnificat And Nunc Dimittis: Choral Octavo

Howells' gift for setting these twin canticles lies in their emotional restraint paired with genuine spiritual depth. The writing sits comfortably on the voice while avoiding the overly familiar territory of simpler settings, giving your choir something with real substance to sink their teeth into.

The music unfolds with quiet dignity, never rushing or demanding but insisting on your attention. There is both reverence and restraint here, a kind of understated English lyricism that reveals new details with each rehearsal.

This octavo suits intermediate to advanced choirs with solid part independence and comfort with contemporary harmonic language. Directors programming sacred or secular liturgical contexts will find it invaluable; it also works beautifully for choirs wanting to expand beyond Victorian-era Anglican settings.

• Shape the harmonic progressions with patience rather than pushing through them; Howells' voice leading creates its own momentum when you let the sonorities breathe.
• Attend to text clarity in the quieter passages, where the intimacy of the writing can blur consonants if singers aren't precise.
• Balance the lower voices carefully in the fuller moments; the inner parts carry essential harmonic color that disappears if buried beneath the sopranos.

Pair this with other twentieth-century British choral works for a concert exploring post-Romantic sacred writing, or use it as the centerpiece of a service music program. Its 19 pages and moderate difficulty make it manageable within a season's rehearsal timeline while remaining substantial enough to anchor a choral concert.

• Voice leading across complex harmonic progressions
• Sustaining legit through longer phrases without tremolo
• Balancing inner parts in four-part textures
• Interpreting twentieth-century English harmonic language