Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

William Henry Harris was born in London in 1883. A scholarship to the RCM brought Harris to the attention of its director, Hubert Parry and to Walter Parratt, organist at St George's Chapel, who became Harris's organ teacher. After eight years at Lichfield and a brief spell at Oxford, Harris was head-hunted for the post of organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor where he was to remain for almost three decades and during which he composed for choir, organ and also large-scale pieces for the Three Choirs Festival and the Proms. Amongst his duties was the tutoring of the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, the musical direction of many royal occasions and the sub-conducting of both the 1937 and 1953 Coronation Services, all of which eventually resulted in his knighthood in 1954. The 12 anthems in this collection include three world premiere recordings as well as his two best-known works, "Faire Is The Heav'n" and "Bring Us O Lord God". The critical critic might say that Harris was not a great writer of tunes; his defenders would argue that he was trying to ensure that the words stand out. This is a pleasant collection, very well sung, and should interest all who enjoy traditional Anglican music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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