John Rutter

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Compositions

Rutter's compositions are chiefly choral, and include Christmas carols, anthems and extended works such as a Gloria, a Magnificat, and a Requiem.

Rutter's world premiere of his Requiem Mass, as well as his authoritative version of Faure's, was with the Fox Valley Festival Chorus, in Illinois, during his tenure with Cambridge. In 2002 his setting of Psalm 150, commissioned for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, was performed at the thanksgiving service in St Paul's Cathedral, London. He has also written an opera for young people called Bang! fulvic

He is published principally by Oxford University Press in England and by Hinshaw Music in the US. He has been recorded by many choirs, but conducts his own recordings principally on his Collegium label. seaweed extract

Influences compost tea

Rutter's music is eclectic, showing the influences of the French and English choral traditions of the early 20th century, as well as of light music and American classic songwriting. Almost every choral anthem and hymn that he writes, in addition to the standard piano/organ accompaninment, has a subsequent orchestral accompaniment as well, utilizing various different instrumentations, such as strings only, strings and woodwinds, or full orchestra with brass and percussion, among others.

Despite composing and conducting much religious music, Rutter told the US television program 60 Minutes in 2003 that he was not particularly a religious man, yet still deeply spiritual and inspired by the spirituality of sacred verses and prayers. The 60 Minutes program, which aired a week before Christmas 2003, focused on Rutter's popularity with choral groups in the United States, Britain and other parts of the world, and on his composition, Mass of the Children, composed after the sudden death of his son Christopher while a student at Clare College, Cambridge (where Rutter himself had studied).

Reception

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Rutter's music is very popular, particularly in the USA (NBC's Today Show called him "the world's greatest living composer and conductor of choral music")[cite this quote]. In the UK it receives a more mixed reception[citation needed]: while some from the Anglican choral tradition[weasel words] do not regard him as a sufficiently "serious" composer, others hold him in high regard, as illustrated by the following quotation from a review in the London Evening Standard (25/09/2005): "For the infectiousness of his melodic invention and consummate craftsmanship, Rutter has few peers."

In terms of performances, publications and recordings he is probably the most successful choral composer of his generation. For example, his Shepherd's Pipe Carol, written while he was still at school, is reputed to have sold well over one million copies in sheet music alone.[citation needed]

List of compositions and arrangements

Carols

"Angels' Carol" (Original composition)

"Angel Tidings" (Arrangement)

"Candlelight Carol" Original composition

"Carol of the Children" Original Composition

"Cantique de Nol" Arrangement

"Christmas Lullaby"

"Christmas Night" (Arrangement, the title song on the Cambridge Singers's first album)

"Deck the Hall" (Arrangement)

"Donkey Carol"

"Dormi Jesu"

"For the Beauty of the Earth"

"I Wonder as I Wander" (Arrangement)

"Jesus Child"

"Joy to the World" (Arrangement in the style of Handel)

"Love Came Down at Christmas"

"Mary's Lullaby"

"Nativity Carol" (1st line: "Born in a Stable so Bare") (Original composition)

"Of a Rose, a lovely Rose"

"Personent Hodie" (Arranged in the Medieval style)

"Rocking" (Arrangement and translation of Czech carol called "Hajej, nynej, Jeku")

"Rejoice and Be Merry"

"Shepherd's Pipe Carol"

"Silent Night" (Arrangement in the style of Brahms)

"Star Carol"

"There is a Flower" (Original composition)

"The Very Best Time of Year"

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (Arrangement)

"Wexford Carol" (Arrangement)

"What Sweeter Music"

"Wild Wood Carol"

Choral works

Most of these works are arrangements.

A Gaelic Blessing for SATB and organ or guitar, commissioned in 1978 by the Chancel Choir of the First United Methodist Church, Omaha, Nebraska, in honor of minister of music Mel Olson.

Birthday Madrigals for SATB, commissioned in 1995 by Brian Kay and the Cheltenham Bach Choir to celebrate the 75th birthday of George Shearing

Carols for Choirs 2 ed. Willcocks and Rutter

Carols for Choirs 3 ed. Willcocks and Rutter

Carols for Choirs 4 ed. Willcocks and Rutter

Dancing Day for SSA with harp or piano

Eight Childhood Lyrics

Eight Christmas Carols, Set 1 for mixed voices and piano

Eight Christmas Carols, Set 2 for mixed voices and piano

100 Carols for Choirs ed. Willcocks and Rutter

Twelve Christmas Carols, Set 1 for mixed voices and small orchestra or piano

Twelve Christmas Carols, Set 2 for mixed voices and small orchestra or piano

Child in a manger from Carols for Choirs 3 for SATB and keyboard or orchestra

Christmas Night for SATB and keyboard or strings

Come Down, O Love Divine for double mixed choir and organ

Cradle Song from Carols for Choirs 3 for SATB unaccompanied

Donkey Carol for SATB and piano or orchestra

Flemish Carol from Carols for Choirs 3 for SATB and piano or orchestra

For the Beauty of the Earth for SATB, SA, or TTBB, and piano

Here We Come a-wassailing from Twelve Christmas Carols, Set 1

The Holly and the Ivy for SATB and piano or orchestra

Gloria for mixed voices with brass, percussion and organ or orchestra.

I Saw Three Ships from Carols for Choirs 3 for SATB and piano or orchestra

Jesus Child for SATB and piano or orchestra

Jesus Child for unison and piano

Joy to the world! for SATB and keyboard or orchestra (2 trumpets, timpani and strings)

King Jesus hath a garden from Carols for Choirs 3 for SATB and piano or flute, harp and strings

Love came down at Christmas for SATB and keyboard or strings

Mary's Lullaby for SATB and piano or orchestra

Nativity Carol for SATB and keyboard or strings

O come, O come, Emmanuel from Twelve Christmas Carols, Set 1 for SATB and keyboard or orchestra.

Quem pastores laudavere for SATB unaccompanied

Quittez, pasteurs for SATB unaccompanied

Shepherd's Pipe Carol for SATB and piano or orchestra or for SSAA and piano or orchestra

Sing we to this merry company for SATB and orchestra or organ

Star Carol for SATB and piano or orchestra or brass with optional children's voices or for unison and piano

There is a flower (original composition) for SATB unaccompanied

Three Carols from Carols for Choirs 4 for SS and SSA unaccompanied

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day from the cycle of carols, Dancing Day for SSA and harp or piano

The Twelve Days of Christmas (song) from Carols for Choirs 2 for SATB and piano or orchestra

Winchester Te Deum For SATB and Piano or Organ

Wexford Carol for SATB unaccompanied

What sweeter music for SATB and organ or strings

Gaelic Blessing.

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

Anthems and other compositions

Most of these works are original compositions, including new musical settings of standard texts, whilst others are arrangements of traditional hymns.

All Creatures of our God and King

All Things Bright and Beautiful

As the bridegroom to his chosen

Be Thou my vision

Behold, the Tabernacle of God

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

Children's chorus, opt.

A Choral Amen

A Choral Fanfare

Christ the Lord is risen again

A Clare Benediction

Creation's Alleluia

Distant Land

The Falcon

Fancies (part of "Eight Childhood Lyrics")

Feel the Spirit

For the beauty of the Earth

Gloria

Go forth into the world in peace

God be in my head

Gregorian Chant

Greensleeves

How Firm A Foundation

Heavenly Aeroplane

Hymn to the Creator of Light

I believe in springtime

I will lift up mine eyes

I will sing with the spirit

I will worship the Lord

I Wonder as I Wander

Let us go in peace

Look at the World

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord is my light and my salvation

The Lord is my Shepherd: SATB & organ

Loving shepherd of thy sheep

Magnificat

Mass of the Children (Original composition)

Now thank we all our God

O be joyful in the Lord

O clap your hands

Open Thou Mine Eyes

Partita

The Peace of God

Pie Jesu

Praise the Lord, O my soul

Praise ye the Lord

A Prayer of Saint Patrick

Te Deum

Thanksgiving Prayer

The Beatles Concerto

The Peace of God

Thy Perfect love

Toccata in 7

Requiem (Original composition)

Suite Antique

When Icicles Hang

When The Saints Go Marching In

Wings of the Morning

References

^ http://www.highgateschool.org.uk/cholmeleian-society/famous-cholmeleians

^ Interview with Donald McLeod on Radio 3's Composer of the Week, December 2009. http://www.youtube.com/user/Radio3Video#p/c/D16F55223C416548/1/E7W4AhL_gzo

^ CBS News

Kennedy, Michael (2006), The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 985 pages, ISBN 0-19-861459-4

External links

Rutter at the Oxford University Press website

Collegium Records

John Rutter interviewed by Alan Macfarlane, 28 January 2009 (film)

Categories: 1945 births | Living people | 20th-century classical composers | Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge | Composers of Christian music | English composers | English conductors | Light music composers | Old Cholmeleians | Commanders of the Order of the British Empire | Ivor Novello Award winnersHidden categories: Articles needing cleanup from December 2009 | All pages needing cleanup | Articles with unsourced quotes | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009 | All articles with specifically-marked weasel-worded phrases | Articles with specifically-marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2009