[higgins]

I wondered if anyone could advise me please? I enjoy church music and attend Evensong occasionally ; work permitting ; at Canterbury. I enjoy all music but I am particularly keen to explore more contemporary works.

What do I mean by this? Works that I have heard that I would describe in this way are:

Ye choirs of new Jerusalem ; Shephard, and the Canticles from Leighton's Second Service.

The problem I have is that when it comes to deciding on CDs to purchase or looking at the music schedules published by the Cathedrals, I do not know what is contemporary and what isn't.

I wondered if anyone could provide me with some names of composers that I should look out for given my musical interests?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

[Leanne]

Hi,

I'm a second year music student at The University of London. I hold a choral scholarship at Royal Holloway College and sing evensong regularly at college as well as at various cathedrals around the country. I have sung at Canterbury many times, it's beautiful.

Anyway, I read your request for advide on contemporary church music and I would say just this ...HERBERT HOWELLS. No doubt you've heard of this man and of much of his music. All the cathedrals do his repertoire. The best recording you can get would be Kings College. Howells is definitely contemporary and it's absolutley gorgeous music.

I also personally enjoy the sacred music of Charles Villiers Stanford if you can get hold of any of that. In a years time though there may be a CD available for purchase by my choir. It's a compilation of scared works written by Lionel Pike, our choirmaster who is retiring this year. It is rather Howells-esque as Professor Pike worships the works of Howells. The CD recording is a planned retiring present, so he knows nothing of it yet!! I think it's fantastic music and is as contemporary as you can get (some pieces written in the last 5 years.)

Email me at L.McGivern@rhul.ac.uk if you have any questions at all or if you're interested in any of our choir cds. There are details on www.chapelchoir.co.uk. of all our recordings and about our choir.

Leanne McGivern