Howard's music on CD
A variety of Howard's music is available on CD; here you can find details of all available discs.
Release date: September 2008 on iTunes & on CD: 5099921504723 and digital download: 5099921504754
VISIT THE WEBSITE: www.eternallightrequiem.com
September sees the release of the EMI Classics Recording of Howard's Eternal Light: A Requiem, for soloists, choir, keyboards & strings, commissioned by London Musici, published by Faber Music. It will also be performed in a dance version by the Rambert Dance Company on tour in the UK during the Autumn & Winter, choreographed by Mark Baldwin, designed by Michael Howells. The choir is Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, directed by Stephen Darlington. Soloists on the EMI CD are Alfie Boe, Natasha Marsh and Christopher Maltman.
See the E-flier about the ballet here
Article for Sunday Times Culture by Howard about writing for dance (21st Sept)
Article for Guardian Music by Howard about writing a modern requiem (26th Sept)
EMI Classics page announcing Eternal Light: A Requiem
Rambert Dance Company web page on Eternal Light
Rambert Dance Company PRESS RELEASE (16th June 2008) announcing Eternal Light.
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The Kissing-Dance, a new double CD of the Original Cast recorded in 2008, available here @ £13 each
The Hired Man, a new CD of the New Perspectives Theatre Company production (UK tour & Off-Broadway 2007-8), available at Dress Circle (where it has been on the best-seller list since its release in June) here.
This is the most recent: released October 2006 [CCL CDG 1155] It can be ordered here and also from amazon. There is a review of it on MusicWeb International here.
CDs which contain Howard's music:
Howard's Psalm 23 (The Lord is my Shepherd/Vicar of Dibley theme) is on Classic Fm's Relaxing Classics, Joseph McManners' In Dreams and The Choirboys' debut CD (Ecce homo, the Mr Bean theme is also on this), Bryn Terfel's Favourites and Salisbury Cathedral Girl Choristers' Angels' Song on Griffin GCCD4020 CD (his Salisbury Canticles are also on this). He has contributed three new hymn arrangements for the Griffin CD Favourite Hymns from Oxford, sung by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, directed by Stephen Darlington. These are Morning has broken, When I survey the wondrous cross, and Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.
'REMEMBER BETHLEHEM: Carols for a New Millennium' is available on Metronome, (MET CD 1044) including four of Howard's new carols (Romance of the Epiphany, Der Wind auf leeren Strassen, Love Divine, and his arrangement of Jake Thackery's Remember Bethlehem). The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford is conducted by Stephen Darlington.
'We
Are The Burning Fire: songs from a small planet'
Howard's travels have taken him all around the world, and in visiting countries
as far apart as Iceland and Japan, Italy and Brazil, he has discovered a musical
world with roots far different from the classical ones of his training. The
recording We Are The Burning Fire is the result of Howard's exploration
of music from around the world. Rather than simply a collection of songs from
around the world, however, the album features Howard's new, original arrangements
of worldwide folksongs, performed by Christ
Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, directed by Stephen
Darlington. "I came across songs that I had to respond to as an arranger,"
explains Howard, "making it my own and introducing this wonderful music
to a much larger audience through the medium of solo and choral singing. The
selection is itself a journey round the world."
The recording also features the Chamber Orchestra of London, and a host of accompanying instrumentalists including John Harle (saxophone), a Brazilian percussionist, a hammer dulcimer expert, and Howard himself on keyboards.
We Are The Burning Fire is available now on the Metronome label (catalogue number MET CD 1040). You can order this CD directly by visiting www.amazon.co.uk now.
What the critics said...
"Howard has gathered together songs from around the
world, pickin' 'n' mixin' styles and traditions, arranging songs from Africa,
Japan and various outposts of Europe - including England - for the classic
English church choir, but spicing them up with Brazilian percussion, (discreet)
synthesizers and some star instrumental soloists . With a couple of exceptions,
the songs are unfamiliar to me, and one of the main attractions of the album
is the opportunity to discover songs which Ihad either never heard or new
in a different version, as with the English Waly Waly. What really
stands out, though, is Bennett's singing. He has a deftness of phrasing and
a sureness of pitch which is rare in trebles." Barry Witherden, Classic
CD August 2000
"There will be shed-loads of people who will LOVE
this..."Amazon.co.uk
*****A stunning collection, sublimely arranged and performed., 16 July, 2000 Reviewer: Miranda Fox from New York:
"For any lover of folk music, this collection from around the world is a must. The classical English songs are excellent (especially the haunting arrangement of Blow the Wind Southerly), but these are dwarfed by the vibrancy of the songs from Iceland, Brazil and Japan (tracks 5,9 and 12). But the best part of the collection is the stunning third track, three songs from Africa. Goodall has captured the rhythms and harmonies of traditional African music and these are beautifully interpreted. The performance is flawless too."
Choral
Works
The CD
Choral Works by Howard Goodall, performed by the Choir
of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, is available on the Sanctuary Classics
label ASV
Records (CD DCA 1028). The CD features the pieces Missa Aedis Christi,
In Memoriam Anne Frank, Psalm 23 (Theme from The Vicar of Dibley),
Ecce Homo (Theme from Mr Bean), They Were Not Here
and the Marlborough Canticles. Christ
Church Cathedral Choir are joined by Sherborne School for Girls Chamber
Singers, and are conducted by Stephen
Darlington. David
Goode is the organist.
BBC Music Magazine July 1998. (performance ****, sound ****):
'Howard Goodall (b.1958) has scored brilliant success as a composer for film and television. Before that, he was a music scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, whose choir here certainly does him proud, with many instances fo very fine singing, especially from the boys in exposed sections, and fleeting passages for paired tenors and basses.
Goodall's style may be easy on the ear, but his simple invention can work to inspired effect: the Kyrie, a Gloria with cavorting organ, the bell-like Sanctus and French-imbued Agnus Dei of his latin Missa Aedis Christi all include exquisite touches. At times the beauty cedes to a kind of updated Victoriana, whose melifluous sentiment seems arguably at odds with the text.....but the best moments are to be savoured: In Memoriam Anne Frank is a longish, gentle setting of Christina Rossetti and others, the lilting Psalm 23 from the TV series The Vicar of Dibley is luanched by a fine boy solo. Goodall makes appealing use of string string quintet, as in the restrained anthem They were not here, and a wafting set of Canticles flows well. A disc, certainly, for those who enjoy their Tavener or John Rutter.' (Roderic Dunnett)
'A pleasant and varied CD' 1 April, 2002 Reviewer: (chris@darbysingers.org.uk) from Telford, England:
" This CD features a range of choral music written by renowned TV composer Howard Goodall. Some of the tracks will be familar to TV viewers as the themes of comedy programmes (Mr Bean & the Vicar of Dibley), but the music is well worth taking seriously. Goodall's mass is also featured. The average Brit would probably be surprised at how many Goodall tunes he or she knows: these excellent recordings from the much under-rated ASV label demonstrate why his music is so widely used."
There is an excellent New Zealand website, 'The Practical Dreamers Drop-in Centre', run by the Dunedin Methodist Community, which has a (lovely) review of this CD.
You can purchase this CD and the others below from www.amazon.co.uk or from US-based www.gmn.com/shop
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There have been two recorded versions of The Hired Man released over the years, an original cast LP/Cassette issued by Polygram in 1985 featuring the West End cast, which some people have managed to track down on Ebay, and a 2-CD box set of the live Concert Performance at the Palace Theatre in 1992 (TER, Catalogue No. CDTER2 1189). This is now available on iTunes.
If you'd like a CD burnt of the now deleted 1985 version, on the other hand, you can contact us direct by sending your request(s) here or here. On the CDs we send out of this, two additional songs have been reunited with the rest of this recording which were left off the West End Cast Polygram LP for reasons of length: the hunting song Get up and go, lad! and an 18-year old Clare Burt singing You never see the sun. Though the recording quality of these bonus tracks isn't brilliant, it's great to have them back where they belong.
Notwithstanding all of the above, if you're planning a production of The Hired Man we may be able to provide material for reference/learning purposes.
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This musical was also available from TER (Catalogue no. CDTER 1183) in its Original Cast Version, but it too seems not to be listed in their catalogue. This is also available on iTunes. Some copies mayalos still be in stock at Dress Circle.
'ILLUMINARE: Carols for a New Millennium' is available on BBC Worldwide (WMEF 0063-2) and also Signum Records as One Star with one of Howard's new carols (Romance of the Angels). The BBC Singers are conducted by Stephen Cleobury.
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The King's Singers, Watching the White Wheat: Folksongs of the British Isles features Howard's arrangement of the Irish folksong Star of the County Down (EMI Records, Catalogue No. CDC 745062, available from www.amazon.co.uk or www.gmn.com/shop)
The King's Singers, Annie Laurie: Folksongs of the British Isles features Howard's arrangement of the English folksong Scarborough Fair (EMI Classics, Catalogue No. CDC 54904, available from www.gmn.com/shop)
Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Faber New Choral Works (Faber Music, Catalogue No. FM19) features The Marlborough Canticles, and is available from record shops or by visiting their site or contacting schola@herald.ox.ac.uk
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Big
Bangs
A
CD accompanying Howard's Big Bangs TV series
is available on the Metronome
label
(catalogue number MET CD 1043). Go
to the Big Bangs
page for further information.
'Christmas with Cantamus' contains a lovely performance of the Christmas song 'Just a Tale' and can be ordered from Cantamus Recordings.
This is Science Fiction: An Epic Album of Adventure and Exploration features the theme from Red Dwarf (Virgin Records, Catalogue No. 7243 847917 2 8, available from www.amazon.co.uk)
Linda Merrick/Chris Thorpe, The Hemlock Stone features Howard's piece for clarinets, Letter to Perpetua (Classicprint, Catalogue No. CPVP008CD)
"Goodall's 'Letter to Perpetua' scored for four (overdubbed) clarinets of varied sizes is a lively, dancing piece which often recalls the Stravinsky of 'Ebony Concerto'.......an enjoyable and stumilating album" Barry Witherden, Classic CD
