Hebert Howells’ output of choral and organ music is quite significant, but he did not focus on writing substantial amounts of church music until well into the 1930’s. In 1935 he was deeply affected by the death of his son Michael, who contracted polio and died at the age of nine. As someone who will […]

Today’s offertory anthem is a jolly piece of nostalgia. Martin Shaw, its creator, was a prolific English composer with over 300 published works. He studied with a great generation of composers that included Stanford, Holst, Vaughan Williams, and Ireland. He also had a career as a theatrical producer, composer and conductor, and was the uncle […]

“O Taste and See,” by the legendary English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, is a standard in the repertoire. The composer’s first name is not pronounced like you might think, but rather, “Rafe.” This is how he pronounced it, perhaps as a nod to the Old English pronunciation. This anthem was written for the late Queen’s […]

Percy Whitlock, the composer of our communion piece today, is an example of a composer who one might consider a traditionalist. He didn’t write vast amounts of music, having only lived to be 42, however he held various positions in the English cathedrals, and he studied with well-known composers such as Sir Charles Villiers Stanford […]

My first months in college were disastrous. I had troubles with my roommates. I couldn’t manage my time. My wallet was stolen from my dorm room. My organ teacher was constantly disappointed in me, and one of the church positions that I so desperately coveted went to another organ student, who played circles around me. […]

It felt like any other, normal Tuesday morning. I started my day by flipping on the TV and stumbling into the kitchen to make my morning coffee. Glancing out of the window, I noticed that the sky was a brilliant blue on that brisk day in September. From my kitchen, I could hear the morning […]

Today you’re hearing two organ works by French composer, Léon Boëllmann, who only lived to be 35. In Paris, there are a number of prestigious and grandiose churches, whose resplendent acoustics and glittering stained glass are made possible by towering arches that catapult the vertical dimension of these structures into the heights of heaven itself. […]

Our offertory anthem is a special piece for me, for a number of reasons. First off, I think the hymn text is unmatched. When you read the words over and over again, you recognize a new truth. That’s one of the hallmarks of any good artist, you can come back to one of their creations, […]

Music Notes (and your weary music director) will be taking a much-needed summer vacation during the month of July. I want to take a moment to express my sincere thanks to those of you who faithfully read what I write each week. I must confess that I enjoy writing about music as much as I […]

George Talben-Ball was Australian-born, but he studied music at the Royal Academy in London. He was the longtime director of music at Temple Church, after succeeding Sir Walford Davies in 1923. He is most known for his Elegy, an organ piece which was first improvised at the end of an evensong that was being broadcast […]