Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's Continues 8/3

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's continues on Sunday, August 3, with a service featuring the sacred music of Herbert Howells.

The music of Herbert Howells (1892-1982) may be considered the pinnacle of English Romanticism. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Charles Villiers Stanford, C. Hubert H. Parry and Charles Wood, three very influential teachers in the early 20th century. Howell's output includes an entire corpus of Anglican works composed for the most renowned choirs in Great Britain and tailored to the buildings in which these choirs were in residence. Like his colleague, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Howells felt an affinity with music of the Tudor period and his rapport with the music of that time is particularly evident in his works although transmuted into Howells characteristically rich harmonic style and plasticity of meter and rhythm. In 1935, Howells lost his nine-year-old son, Michael, to spinal meningitis, an event which shattered his life and, after a long period of silence, affected his compositions for the remainder of his life.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will sing Howell's Collegium Regale settings of the Jubilate Deo and Te Deum as well as the Communion Service, all composed for the Choir of King's College in Cambridge. The choir will also sing Howell's most affecting anthem Like as the hart.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will be accompanied by organist Jason Roberts. William K. Trafka will conduct.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place each Sunday morning at 11 am at St. Bartholomew's Church during the summer months. At a time when most churches reduce their musical offerings, St. Bartholomew's Church provides outstanding sacred music sung by St. Bartholomew's Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers, two of New York City's most renowned choirs. Works include an array of mass settings from the 15th century to the present embracing a diversity of cultures from around the world. The music is sung as part of the Eucharist or Mass, the liturgical context for which it was composed. All Summer Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place at St. Bartholomew's Church at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or visit our website for the complete schedule.

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