John Rutter
John Rutter is one of England's best-known composers of the late 20th century, as well as a widely respected choral conductor, music scholar, and editor. While his choral works, both small and large -- including the Gloria (1974), Magnificat (1990), Requiem (1985), Psalmfest (1993), and Mass of the Children (2003) -- are the most familiar, he has written instrumental works, including a piano concerto; two children's operas; and music for television. Rutter also composed specially for such groups as the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the King's Singers.
He began his musical career as a member of the Highgate School chorus, continued to study organ, and went on to Cambridge University, where he studied at Clare College. At the age of 30, in 1975, he returned to Clare, where he served as director of music. In 1979, however, he left the position in order to give more attention to composing and conducting. He still contributed to the study of choral music, acting as an editor on the Carols for Choirs series along with Sir David Willcocks and on the Opera Choruses (1995) and European Sacred Music (1996) volumes of the Oxford Choral Classics series. He formed the Cambridge Singers in 1981, primarily to record his and others' music, and again he left off leadership of the group in order to concentrate on composing and conducting. He was made an honorary fellow by Westminster Choir College, Princeton in 1980, and a fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians in 1988. In 1996, he was awarded a Lambeth Doctorate of Music by the Archbishop of Canterbury for his services to church music. In addition to all of these activities, he manages the Collegium Records label, largely devoted to his own music. He continues to guest conduct and lecture around the world. He was awarded a CBE for his services to music in the 2007 Queen's New Year Honours List. In 2016, Rutter wrote Visions for violin, treble choir, harp, and strings, and conducted its premiere along with his Requiem that year on Collegium Records. In the midst of the 2020 coronavirus lockdowns, Rutter transcribed eight of his choral works and eight carols for piano, bringing in longtime friend Wayne Marshall to record The Piano Collection in isolation, with Rutter producing from his England home.
Musically his works show very distinct influences from the past. He has a strong sense of the English musical traditions, and some of the more significant English musical influences on his work include Ralph Vaughn Williams, William Walton, and Benjamin Britten. Non-English influences include Fauré, Gregorian chant, and Bach. His Suite Antique is a direct tribute to the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, written for the same instruments and in the same style. His music's immediate accessibility, being both tuneful and expressive, and its wide general appeal, have earned him a place in the English musical tradition, and while he is most popular in England and the United States, his music is performed worldwide, particularly by church choirs.
© TiVo Staff /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Carols from Clare
Clare College Singers, Cambridge, Clare College Orchestra, Cambridge, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blessing
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choral Concert: Cambridge Singers - Gabrieli, G. / Monteverdi, C. / Palestrina, G.P. Da / Lasso, O. Di / Sweelinck, J.P. (The Sacred Flame)
Cambridge Singers, Nuova Musica, La, Mark Williams, John Rutter
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Mar 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Holly and the Ivy
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Orchestra of Clare College, Cambridge, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Candlelight - Seasonal Reflections and Celebrations
Classical - Released by Collegium on 9 Oct 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sing, Ye Heavens: Hymns for All Time
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Aug 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Treasures of English Church Music
Cambridge Singers, Mary Seers, Karen Kerslake, Frances Jellard, Caroline Ashton, John Rutter
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Sep 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Song in Season
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Sep 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Banquet of Voices
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Oct 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hail! Queen of Heaven - Music in Honour of the Virgin Mary
Cambridge Singers, Caroline Ashton, John Rutter, Andrew Gant
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Apr 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Byrd: Motets and Anthems
Cambridge Singers, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
O Praise the Lord of Heaven
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Sacred Music
Donna Deam, Mary Seers, Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Mozart Collection
Classical - Released by American Gramaphone on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Images Of Christ
Cambridge Singers, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Nov 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hail, Gladdening Light - Music Of The English Church
Cambridge Singers, Karen Kerslake, Frances Jellard, Caroline Ashton, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Oct 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lead, Kindly Light
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 12 Nov 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Handel Collection
John Rutter, The City of London Sinfonia, Harry Bicket
Classical - Released by American Gramaphone on 12 Jun 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
She moved through the fair
John Rutter, Manchester Camerata, Amina Hussain, Jonathan Martindale, Lauren Scott
Classical - Released by Collegium on 20 Oct 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Bach Collection
Classical - Released by American Gramaphone on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flora Gave Me Fairest Flowers - Elizabethan Madrigals
Cambridge Singers, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo