Preces and Responses in D

AAM member Stephen Tappe wrote his set for his own choir at St. John’s Cathedral, Denver. His language owes much to the whole-tone flavored English impressionism of Herbert Howells, yet these are no imitative re-imaginings.  Tappe’s rhythmic vitality and even touches of polyphonic imitation are all his own. The harmonic language poses plenty of pitfalls for singers, with rapid movements from sharps to flats and intervals that are harder to read than to sing. With careful rehearsal, however, theses responses are evocative and memorable. All parts divide from time to time, requiring an ensemble with sufficient voices and technical ability. – Jason Overall, The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, January 2019