From the Organist & Choirmaster
Herbert Howells remains one of the towering figures of twentieth-century English church music, and among his most beloved liturgical works is the Collegium Regale service, composed for the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge in 1944. While the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are perhaps the most frequently discussed portions of the setting, the accompanying Jubilate Deo stands as an equally brilliant example of Howells’ unmistakable musical language: radiant harmonies, sweeping melodic lines, and a profound sensitivity to the rhythm and meaning of sacred text.
The title Collegium Regale—Latin for “King’s College”—was chosen in honor of King’s College, Cambridge, whose celebrated choir tradition shaped much of the Anglican choral world in the twentieth century. During the Second World War, King’s College Chapel had temporarily relocated its choir to Bristol for safety reasons. It was there that Howells encountered the musicians of King’s College under the direction of Boris Ord, whose artistry inspired the composition. The Magnificat and Nunc dimittis were first heard in 1945, quickly becoming central works in the Anglican Evensong repertoire. The Jubilate, often paired with the Te Deum in Morning Prayer, followed naturally as part of Howells’ broader contribution to Anglican liturgical music.
The text of the Jubilate Deo comes from Psalm 100, one of the most joyful and triumphant canticles in the Prayer Book tradition:
“O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands…”
For centuries, this canticle has occupied an important place within Anglican Morning Prayer, functioning as a jubilant expression of praise and thanksgiving. Howells approaches the text not with overt theatricality, but with a sense of glowing grandeur and spiritual expansiveness. Rather than relying upon rigid rhythmic declarations, he allows the music to unfold organically, almost as if the choir itself were breathing the text into life.
One of the defining characteristics of the Collegium Regale Jubilate is its fluidity. Howells avoids heavy metric emphasis, instead crafting long, arching phrases that rise and fall with remarkable naturalness. The organ accompaniment does far more than merely support the choir; it creates an atmospheric landscape beneath the voices, rich with shimmering harmonies and subtle color changes. This partnership between choir and organ is one of the hallmarks of Howells’ sacred music and contributes greatly to the mystical, almost transcendent quality for which his music is known.
The harmonic language of the work is distinctly “Howellsian.” Influenced by late Romantic composers such as Vaughan Williams and Debussy, Howells developed a musical vocabulary filled with modal inflections, unresolved dissonances, and luminous chord progressions. In the Jubilate, moments of ecstatic brilliance emerge unexpectedly from passages of quiet contemplation, mirroring the ebb and flow of prayer itself. The climactic sections possess tremendous power without ever losing elegance or refinement
What makes the Collegium Regale setting especially enduring within Anglican worship is its balance between liturgical practicality and artistic depth. Though highly expressive and emotionally rich, the music remains deeply connected to the text and function of the service. Howells understood Anglican liturgy intimately, and his music never feels merely concerted or decorative. Instead, it elevates the words of the Prayer Book while preserving their devotional purpose.
Today, the Jubilate continues to be sung by cathedral, collegiate, and parish choirs throughout the Anglican Communion and beyond. Its enduring popularity reflects not only the beauty of the composition itself, but also Howells’ extraordinary ability to capture something quintessentially English and profoundly sacred. In the soaring phrases and glowing harmonies of the Collegium Regale Jubilate, one hears not simply a setting of Psalm 100, but a musical vision of worship filled with joy, reverence, and wonder.
Listeners familiar with the Anglican choral tradition will immediately recognize in this work the qualities that make Herbert Howells such a cherished composer: emotional sincerity, harmonic richness, and an unparalleled gift for writing music that seems perfectly suited to the resonant acoustics of great churches and chapels. Nearly eighty years after its composition, the Jubilate remains one of the defining treasures of Anglican sacred music.