Herbert Howells’ Beautiful “Like as the hart ”

Spotlight on the Choral Anthem for Sunday, June 22
Like as the Hart • Herbert Howells

By David Jolliffe

Herbert Howells, a British composer, conductor, and teacher who lived from 1892 to 1983, used to refer to himself jokingly as the reincarnation of a Tudor-era church musician, referring to the period from the late 15th century through the entire 17th century, when composers were experimenting with new forms of polyphony and particularly benefited from Henry VIII’s proclamation that his devoted musicians were to write hymns, anthems, and service music in English rather than Latin.

Howells’ affection for the earlier period notwithstanding, his music showed that he was a thorough-going modernist, and his anthem, “Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks, which the St. Paul’s adult choir will sing at the 11 am service on June 22, resonates with his personal and artistic grounding in the early and middle 20th century.

 Composed in a single day, January 8, 1941, “Like as the hart” is one of four related pieces that Howells labeled simply “Four Anthems,” but, as several commentators point out, they might have been better titled “Four Anthems in the Time of War.”   His native Britain had just suffered through and eventually won (at great cost) the Battle of Britain, enduring wave after wave of attacks by the Luftwaffe.  Europe was in the midst of widespread conflict, and the United States was teetering on the brink of joining the war.

In this tumultuous scene, Howells found solace in the words of Psalm 42, the opening verses of which he uses as the text for the anthem: 

Like as the hart desireth the waterbooks,

So longeth my soul after thee, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, yea even for the living God.

When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

My tears have been my meat day and night,

While they daily say unto me,

Where is thy God?

The music for “Like as the hart” envelopes this text with elegant passion.  The anthem open with a simple but powerful unison tune sung by the men’s voices, after which the entire choir comes forth with a intensely composed question, “When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?”  The women’s voices emerge with a simple tune to portray that “My tears have been my meat day and night,” indicating that the psalmist’s suffering has been longstanding, giving rise to the final plea, “Where is thy God?”