2 types of descants, which will you write?

There are many things to consider when writing a descant. In my experience, most people don't think enough about what I consider to be the 1st and biggest decision to be made when writing a descant. To demonstrate, let's listen to 2 original hymns by the great British composer, Hebert Howells. This is a 5-verse hymn. You might prefer to listen to just verse 1 and then skip ahead to verse 5 to hear the descant. As you listen, try to pick up on some key characteristics. There are too many to...