Herbert Howells and Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gloucester 1956 I have been reading Paul Spicer's fascinating biography of Herbert Howells, and marvelling at the many illuminating details it offers up of the composer's life. For instance, while I knew that Howells was an articled pupil of organist Herbert Brewer at Gloucester Cathedral, I had no idea that his co-students were the unlikely pairing of Ivor Gurney and Ivor Novello (who apparently needed Howells' help with his harmony and counterpoint exercises). One particular episode during Howells' time at Gloucester captures my imagination. Ahead of the 1910 Three Choirs Festival, Howells asked his teacher whether there was anything interesting
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