Arise Sir John!

For professional reasons I have always scanned through the lists of New Year and Birthday Honours - even in retirement! This year I was delighted to see that John Rutter had been awarded a Knighthood for services to music. There is probably nothing in this column which you are not aware of but I feel it is important to mark this honour in a timely way.

My first awareness of John was when my church invested in a set of Carols for Choirs 2. It did not take me long to find The Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, though it took a little longer for my choir to cope with the off-the-beat elements of the music. This carol seems to work best with an orchestra, which also illustrates John’s skills as an orchestrator.

The effort was well rewarded by both choir members and the congregation. That has been at the heart of all of John’s compositions over the years – enough of a challenge to make it interesting for the choir resulting in an enjoyable performance that resonates with the congregation.

Some years ago now I arrived at a church for my first Choir Practice as their organist. When I asked what anthem we would be singing I was told politely that it was on the organ desk. It turned out to be ‘The Lord Bless You And Keep You’, which is in G flat major. It also has some tricky entries and a challenging final page Amen. All went well in the service but I am certain it was chosen as a ‘test piece’ by the choir for its incoming organist! There were certainly more copies of his anthems in the cupboard than any other composer.  

John is a superb marketer of his music. His web site is exceptionally well laid out and includes a new blog series in which he answers many of the questions he has been asked over the years, such as the foundation of the Cambridge Singers. I can think of no other composer that has such skills in managing the production of CDs of their works from the initial framework through to music-making and recording of the highest quality. There is nothing I can add to what is already public about John, his vision and his work. I was intrigued to see that his Wikipedia entry was updated with ‘Sir’ late on the Friday evening before the public announcement on the Saturday.

From the huge list of his compositions (given in the Wikipedia entry) there are a few that I often turn to on YouTube (or on CD in my car) when I want my spirits lifted. I have always enjoyed The Lord Bless You And Keep You. A recording made in the USA of this anthem with a choir of probably a thousand or more also shows John’s skills as a conductor. Another favourite of mine is What Sweeter Music sung by the choir of Trinity College Cambridge. The words are by Robert Herrick (1591-1674) written for the enjoyment of King Charles 1. Both words and the music are timeless.

It is important to remember that John has written many large-scale choral works, including a Gloria in a performance at Carnegie Hall, New York. There is also a very good performance of the Requiem from the USA. Do listen to the introduction to this recording.

John’s music is performed around the world. One of the most atmospheric performances of the Nativity Carol I have come across comes from the Sofia Vokalensemble, a choir based in Stockholm.

As far as I am aware John Rutter has only written one piece for organ, and that is the organ duet Variations on an Easter Theme. It needs to be watched as well as listened to as it requires a very high level of concentration and a substantial amount of practice.

Finally, I’ve enjoyed watching ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not John Rutter’ sung by Pitchcraft – The Edinburgh Choir with John in the audience. Apart from anything else it shows that John is able to laugh at himself. The lyrics are not easy to catch but have been added to the Comments in the YouTube recording.

The last word has to go to John Rutter, talking about what makes a perfect Christmas carol. A truly inspirational composer, conductor and communicator.