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Four Part-Songs by Herbert Howells (1892-1983)

Herbert Howells (1892-1983), an English composer, was an influential teacher and composer. He wrote in many genres including orchestral works, string quartets, and sacred and secular choral works. As Howells matured into his final compositional period (1945-1983) his style coalesced. Modal inflections were more prevalent, dissonance was harsher with fewer releases of tension, and rhythmic language was increasingly more complex. The four part-songs, Walking in the Snow (1950), The Scribe (1952), Inheritance (1953), and The Summer is Coming (1964), represent Howells' compositional approach in his secular output from this time period, and, through study of the sacred motet Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing (1964), it is evident that the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic complexities found in his sacred works pervade the secular works as well. This document provides in-depth analysis of the four part-songs mentioned above, while paying special attention to specific melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic characteristics found in his sacred music from the same time period.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/242453
Date January 2012
CreatorsZosel, Heather
ContributorsChamberlain, Bruce, Schauer, Elizabeth, Brobeck, John T., Chamberlain, Bruce
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Electronic Dissertation
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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