John Rutter

John Milford Rutter CBE (born September 24, 1945) is an English composer, choral conductor, editor, arranger and record producer.

Born in London, he was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He then read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the choir and then director of music from 1975 to 1979. In 1981 he founded his own choir, the Cambridge Singers, which he conducts and with which he has made many recordings of sacred choral repertoire (including his own works), particularly under his own label Collegium Records. He still lives near Cambridge, but frequently conducts other choirs and orchestras around the world.

In 1980 he was made an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, and in 1988 a Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians. In 1996 the Archbishop of Canterbury conferred a Lambeth Doctorate of Music upon him in recognition of his contribution to church music.

He also works as an arranger and editor, most notably (in his youth) of the extraordinarily successful Carols for Choirs anthology series in collaboration with Sir David Willcocks.

Compositions
Rutter's compositions are chiefly choral, and include Christmas carols, anthems and extended works such as a Gloria 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!

He is published principally by Oxford University Press, and by his own company Collegium.

Influences
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.

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, but he is inspired by the spirituality of sacred verses and prayers.[1] 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 untimely death of his son Christopher while a student.

Reputation
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"); though in the UK it receives a more mixed reception. Many from the Anglican choral tradition do not regard him as a sufficiently 'serious' composer.

In terms of performances 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.

List of compositions and Arrangments

Carols
"Angels' Carol"
"Candlelight Carol"
"Carol of the Children
"Christmas Lullaby
"Donkey Carol"
"Jesus Child"
"Love Came Down at Christmas"
"Mary's Lullaby"
"Nativity Carol"
"Of a Rose, a lovely Rose
"Shepherd's Pipe Carol"
"Star Carol"
"There is a Flower
"The Very Best Time of Year
"What Sweeter Music"
"Wild Wood Carol"

Choral Works
"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 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
"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
"A Gaelic Blessing" for SATB and organ or guitar. Commissioned by the choir of 1st United Methodist, Omaha, USA (1978)
"Here we come a-wassailing" from Twelve Christmas Carols, Set 1
"The holly and the ivy" for SATB and piano 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, Immanuel" 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" 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 from Carols for Choirs 2 for SATB and piano or orchestra
"Wexford Carol" for SATB unaccompanied
"What sweeter music" for SATB and organ or strings

Other
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
Distant Land
The Falcon
Fancies
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
Now thank we all our God
O be joyful in the Lord
O clap your hands
Open Thou Mine Eyes
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 Peace of God
Thy Perfect love
Toccata in 7
Requiem
When Icicles Hang
When the saints go marching in
Wings of the Morning