"Behold a virgin/O thou that tellest"Ian Howell Countertenor

[looterish]

Ian, this is wonderful stuff! Is there a complete recording available of this performance?

[jpblagoeva]

Divine!

[brownmullins]

This is as perfect as I have heard...perfect pitch is a gift. Beautiful, delicate as it should be.  I cried.

[haygraphics]

This is fabulous Ian. i was fortunate enough to see you're performance with Orchestra London in their production of Giulio Cesare and was blown away.

Anyone who gets the chance to see you perform live should do it. The recordings are great but they don't do full justice to the richness of your voice. Your performance in 'Cesare' was chilling but the warmth of your tone retained of the character's humanity even through the depths of his depravity.

Great to find this.

Brian

[glorialeeyoung8]

Ian,

Do you have any more solo's from the Messiah on You Tube.

I once had a video many years ago where the music was all

done by men countenors doing all that we have usually thought

to be female parts and it was absolutely lovely.

This was so inspiring and I feel this work by Handel

to be so inspiring and it is a shame that it isn't even

played on PBS anymore.

[meesterschilders]

placed into my playlist of Jan van Eyck, thank you

[GoddessElvina]

Jean Harlowe, Mother Theresa I think we are getting warmer....

[GoddessElvina]

Such beauty & purity of ours before the conflict. She is not the Virgin Mary. The Next Virgin out of Elizabeth captured by the Angels. No mother of Christ likely Emmanuel indeed. Possibly of ArchAngel Michael & then you see his unwitting repremand for the Virgin Mary. Rapsody's Flame the sacred Pagan unio. The cleft in her chin........

All behold our love & our divide!

[olialto7]

I don't think Ian Howell's voice is that similar to Scholl or Daniels. I would say it's more similar to Daniel Taylor's, but somewhat fuller and warmer, rather like an American Michael Chance (now that is a compliment!) before he started singing all those high notes and made his lower register disappear.

[reginajulianna]

Beautiful video.

[Jisarzi]

Hi Ian, I am your very big fan and I am asking you about one , for me important, thing.. have you a recording of "But who may abide"? I am going to sing it next month in church and I am interested in your recordings :) :) So if you have, can you send me/upload it? Or have you any tips for good performances? I heard two ( by Scholl and Kožená-she is my very favorite singer, because she is czech too :)) and I am not sure about the best perf. Have a nice day!

[SunslightAndSong]

Great Ian. Handel knew what he was doing. So do you. Your sound to me is like Daniels or Scholl's. My teachers had no clue as how the CT voice worked, so I used Bowman for a model. I was told, when solo, I sound like Deller, which isn't a bad thing.

Do you work choral as well as solo? Any trouble keeping the vibrato out when sing pure for choral music? Thank goodness for good CTs, like you. Keep it up.

[sumattra]

Hi Ian, your beutiful voice, your intelligent interpretation as well as your musical skills make me thing why I hadn't hear you alive, please , wo trougth the world, could be yours. Alfonso Mejia Arias

[Voiceactually]

hi Ian,

nice work.

sang myself the same aria many times,and i think your interpretation is really good.

[classyteacherdiva]

I have listened to this at least two dozen times! This is THE most marvelous, innovative rendering I have ever heard. You are giving David Daniels a true run for the money. I would like to know more about your background and how long you have been singing.

Someone made a comment that you had slurs--I don't know what he was talking about. Sounds like a hater.

Ian, from one fellow musician to another, may I ask how you came up with the rendition you did on the video?

[ianthecountertenor]

(cont')

The interpretation is basically mine. I've known this song since I was a kid, and have assimilated many opinions re: ornaments, tempi, etc... This was a live recording with a group in New Haven, CT, USA.

I've studied with David Daniels, and am flattered that you would make the comparision.

Thanks for listening!

Be well,

~ian

[buriedverydeep]

Jan Van Eyck, the first modern look at reality

[rastudio1]

Bravo ! Excellent images by Jan Van Eyck, and wonderful musical accompaniment. Your voice is marvelous.

[dis0guise]

Nice clean countertenor, more meat in it than some I have heard; you could have a fine career if you don't weaken. Good ornaments well executed, and both the really low and really high notes, my bane when I try to sing countertenor, are excellent too. Best of luck, will keep eye out for recordings.

[mogemoets]

This IS a fantastic rendering!

Ian is marvelous!

I LOVE the << lack >> of vibrato....

I wrote----on another site---that "Vibrato is like VOODOO-----nobody should us it---if he/she can't CONTROL it-----because----it'll get AWAY from you and RUIN EVERYHTHING!"

Martin

[ianthecountertenor]

Hi martin,

I'm glad you like this recording.

I wouldn't say, however, that I sing without vibrato. The sound is spinning and vibrating, and certainly is not held. We don't, IMHO, make a big enough distinction between bad vibrato and healthy vibrato!

~ian

[andreasscholl]

Hi Martin,

Singing with vibrato is rather normal.

The vocalmuscles respond to them,the air that passes them.

But if it is a pronounced vibrato then it is indeed wrong.

And harmful to the voice as it is!

The voice of Ian has got clean colour, and is not smutched with this.

Great talent!!!

Hope he will do more, and hopefully come to Holland.

Greetings Andreas.

X

[daveinout]

Wonderful Timbre! Excellent technique used!Wonderful work on the slurs! And Definitely a beautiful high ranged voice!! Glory to God!

[zinderxp]

Wonderful!

[zinderxp]

great!

[reno59fr]

et la musique d'handel va parfaitement avec les images.

[reno59fr]

oh , one of my favorite painters with wan der weyden, i love the so called" primitifs flamands"(sorry i don't know the term in english). jolie vidéo

[ianthecountertenor]

Hi nfahring,

I do not have any major label solo disks out, however that is all going to change soon. I am scheduled to record BWV 170, D. Scarlatti's "Salve Regina," and an assortment of Handel opera and oratorio arias with the west coast orchestra The American Bach Soloists. The sessions are April of 2008 with a release in the Fall? Not sure when yet.

I can be heard on 7 CDs and one DVD with Chanticleer (everything released from 2001-2005).

be well,

Ian

ianhowellcountertenor(dot)com

[nfahring]

What a fabulous voice! There doesn't seem to be a break........incredible voice production and a treat to hear.  I am out of the loop, musically, and haven't been aware of this marvelous voice. Have you done recordings?

Thank God for YouTube!

Nancy in Tucson, Az.

[loshem]

you truly have a gifted voice. I love watching your recitals. I was wondering, have you ever done a Bach Passion? If not I think you would be great for it, and f you have.... then I bet you were great in it.

[ianthecountertenor]

I did the St John a few months ago. Es ist vollbracht is one of my favorite arias!

[loshem]

that is my favorite of St. Johns. I am assuming you did it in the original German; I dont't much care for the english version.

[CWG40]

Great! Love it.

[DarkGadjika]

fantastic ,even sci-fi !!

[podimusicus]

Seraphic!

[ianthecountertenor]

hey, thanks! i love messiah, and Van Eyck's stuff... actually, I'm going to see an exhibit of his work in D.C. Tomorrow!

[Ravensinger]

Just beautiful!!!! Truly!