DESCRIPTION:
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) is generally regarded as the finest British composer of sacred and theater music (at least until the birth of Benjamin Britten in 1913), and his work Dido and Aeneas is arguably the first example of English opera. His song "An Evening Hymn," a setting of a text by Bishop William Fuller (1608-1675), is an example of a ground bass. In this type of 'variations on a theme,' a repeated bass line is the foundation for ever evolving melodic and harmonic ideas. This style persists in our time, especially in improvisational genres such as jazz.

Now, now that the sun hath veil'd his light
And bid the world goodnight;
To the soft bed my body I dispose,
But where shall my soul repose?
Dear, dear God, even in Thy arms,
And can there be any so sweet security!
Then to thy rest, O my soul!
And singing, praise the mercy
That prolongs thy days.
Hallelujah!


Ian Howell - Countertenor http://www.ianhowellcountertenor.com
Karl Wohlwend - Guitar http://www.columbusclassicalguitar.com

Recorded live June 19th, 2010 in the Huntington Recital Hall of Capital University in Columbus, OH. This performance is from the program "The New Music: 1602 - Present" and was presented by The Columbus Guitar Society.

Audio recorded by Eric French with a pair of Schoeps microphones.
Video recorded with a FlipHD camera and edited in iMovieHD.