Herbert Howells is a giant of 20th century Anglican church music the remainder of whose oeuvre is in the process of gaining new appreciation. Over the course of his compositional life he created many settings for the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis. Howells made a practice of writing his settings for these texts and completed services specifically for the church buildings or cathedrals in whi…

The extended hymns in this collection apart from their inherent appeal to choirs and congregations alike lend themselves particularly well to use as choir items in situations where resources are limited. The suggested methods of performance for example contrast between unison and harmony may be easily adapted to suit local conditons.