John Rutter's Requiem

John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and studied music at Clare College, Cambridge. His compositions embrace choral, orchestral, and instrumental music, and he has co-edited various choral anthologies including four Carols for Choirs volumes with Sir David Willcocks and the Oxford Choral Classics series. In 1981, Rutter 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.

Although only 35 minutes in length, the choir of 30+ only began to learn it three and a half hours earlier with a small number of newbies for the day. The result was beautiful.

The concert actually started with a piece devised by musical director Bradley Barlow, entitled ‘We Will Remember Them’, which at the start literally created goose-bumps. It was a very moving piece.

Returning to Requiem, the main event, the choir continued in their advancement with some rich, tones and all the voices blended beautifully. Rutter’s Requiem composed in 1985, is a musical setting of sections of the Missa pro Defunctis, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Psalms. Seven sections contained prayers on behalf of all humanity, psalms, personal prayers to Christ, and in the central Sanctus an affirmation of divine glory. During this, there were two solo pieces sung also beautifully, by Naomi Barlow. Excellent accompaniment throughout by Angie Allard.

Stourport Choral has become a jewel in the crown of District 10 and I look forward to their next and seasonal concert, ‘A Stourport Christmas’ on 16 December.

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