Rutter: Orchestral Carols

Album review

This little release, just 23 minutes long, offers six carols, three traditional in arrangements by John Rutter, and three newly composed by Rutter himself. It is priced to match, so one might consider it a budget Christmas release, ideally timed for a commute home and entirely superior to radio holiday fare. On the other hand, it also might, in a way, be considered a high-end item. It could accompany a gift of an audiophile stereo system or serve as a demonstration album for trying one out. The production by Adrian Peacock at the Chapel of King's College is really remarkable, and it is as though Rutter's arrangements were written with this in mind. Despite the overall sunny mood, they are quite involved; they are rendered perfectly by the Britten Sinfonia under conductor Daniel Hyde, and they create various subtle stereo effects that are beautifully illuminated in the recording. Another notable feature is that, although two of the three Rutter originals are set, as usual, to texts from classic literature, the final All Bells in Paradise has a text by Rutter himself. Most people who have heard Rutter know whether they love his music or not so much, and nothing here will break the pattern. However, as an example of how to record in one of the great English collegiate chapels, this album is nonpareil.

© James Manheim /TiVo