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John Rutter’s 80th Birthday Celebration

Wednesday, 5 November 2025
19.30

Join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at St Paul’s Cathedral for a concert celebrating the 80th birthday of John, conducted by the man himself.

Be one of the first to hear the world premiere of a new piece specially composed by John for the occasion, before a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.5. Only two years older than the evening’s conductor, it is a piece that manifests a vision of peace and tranquillity amid times of war; its heart-piercing Romanza will make you feel as though time itself has stopped.

The celebration’s centrepiece will be The Gift of Life, a work that the composer set out to write as a counterpoint to his earlier Requiem – a celebration of creation and life itself in all its majesty and manifold beauty. The six-movement piece, set to a blend of liturgical passages, poetry and original text, bursts with unabashed jubilation. Its central movement, the Hymn to the Creator of Light for double choir, is an intricate layering of voices and instruments that envelopes the listener in an array of radiant colours.

John Rutter – Conductor
The Bach Choir
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Venue

St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Churchyard
London
EC4M 8AD

Contact

For further information and booking please visit the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra website.

Notes

Tickets: £80, £65, £55, £40, £30, £15
This event is not recommended for children under 5. All customers aged 14 years or below must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over.

 

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