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Herbert Howells (17 October 1892-23 February 1983) was an English composer.

Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucestershire. His father was an amateur organist, and the boy showed early musical promise. He studied first with Herbert Brewer, the organist of Gloucester Cathedral and later at the Royal College of Music under Stanford and Charles Wood. He was briefly assistant organist at Salisbury Cathedral (1917) and in his twenties and thirties composed chiefly orchestral and chamber music, including two piano concertos. The death of his son Michael from polio in 1935 unleashed a new period of creativity, and he became increasingly identified with the composition of religious music, most notably the Hymnus Paradisi for chorus and orchestra (composed after his son's death but not released for performance until 1950). He became particularly known for his large output of Anglican church music, including a complete Service for King's College, Cambridge and settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for the choirs of St. Paul's and Gloucester Cathedrals, amongst many others.

Hymnus Paradisi was the first of Howells' four large-scale sacred choral works. His Missa Sabrinensis is on the same scale, in terms of length and forces required, as Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, while An English Mass is scored for significantly smaller forces, is performed almost entirely in English, and follows the Anglican tradition of placing the Gloria last. Finally, Howells' setting of the Stabat Mater, at about 50 minutes, is one of the longest extant settings of that text.

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 '''Herbert Howells''' ([[17 October]] [[1892]]-[[23 February]] [[1983]]) was an [[England|English]] [[composer]].
-Howells was born in [[Lydney]], [[Gloucestershire]]. His father was an amateur [[organ (music)|organist]], and the boy showed early musical promise. He studied first with [[Herbert Brewer]], the organist of [[Gloucester Cathedral]] and later at the [[Royal College of Music]] under [[Charles Villiers Stanford|Stanford]] and [[Charles Wood (composer)|Charles Wood]]. He was briefly assistant organist at [[Salisbury Cathedral]] ([[1917]]) and in his twenties and thirties composed chiefly [[orchestra|orchestral]] and [[chamber music]], including two [[piano]] [[concerto]]s. The death of his son Michael from [[polio]] in [[1935]] unleashed a new period of creativity, and he became increasingly identified with the composition of religious music, most notably the ''Hymnus Paradisi'' for chorus and orchestra (composed after his son's death but not released for performance until [[1950]]). He also composed a large number of settings of the ''[[Magnificat]]'' and ''[[Nunc dimittis]]'' for various choirs, the most famous of which are those for [[King's College, Cambridge]] and  [[St. Paul's Cathedral|St. Paul's]] and [[Gloucester Cathedral]]s.
+Howells was born in [[Lydney]], [[Gloucestershire]]. His father was an amateur [[organ (music)|organist]], and the boy showed early musical promise. He studied first with [[Herbert Brewer]], the organist of [[Gloucester Cathedral]] and later at the [[Royal College of Music]] under [[Charles Villiers Stanford|Stanford]] and [[Charles Wood (composer)|Charles Wood]]. He was briefly assistant organist at [[Salisbury Cathedral]] ([[1917]]) and in his twenties and thirties composed chiefly [[orchestra|orchestral]] and [[chamber music]], including two [[piano]] [[concerto]]s. The death of his son Michael from [[polio]] in [[1935]] unleashed a new period of creativity, and he became increasingly identified with the composition of religious music, most notably the ''Hymnus Paradisi'' for chorus and orchestra (composed after his son's death but not released for performance until [[1950]]). He became particularly known for his large output of [[Anglican church music]], including a complete [[Service (music)|Service]] for [[King's College, Cambridge]] and settings of the ''[[Magnificat]]'' and ''[[Nunc dimittis]]'' for the choirs of [[St. Paul's Cathedral|St. Paul's]] and [[Gloucester Cathedral]]s, amongst many others.
 ''Hymnus Paradisi'' was the first of Howells' four large-scale sacred choral works. His ''Missa Sabrinensis'' is on the same scale, in terms of length and forces required, as [[Beethoven]]'s ''[[Missa Solemnis]]'', while ''An English Mass'' is scored for significantly smaller forces, is performed almost entirely in English, and follows the Anglican tradition of placing the [[Gloria in Excelsis Deo|Gloria]] last. Finally, Howells' setting of the [[Stabat Mater]], at about 50 minutes, is one of the longest extant settings of that text.