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In this classic Rutter anthem the flowing choral melodies perfectly complement the positive message of the well-known thanksgiving text by F. S. Pierpoint, presented here in Japanese translation.
This version is for SATB but is also available in a version for SA, and in the Anthology for mixed choir (Japanese) vocal score.
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Marias Wiegenlied (Mary’s Lullaby)
Written in 1978 for the choir of Clare College, Cambridge, this gentle, dreamy lullaby has gone on to become one of John Rutter’s most popular carols. Offprinted from Weihnachts Carols for Choirs.
Kind in der Krippe (Child in a manger)
Offprinted from Weihnachts Carols for Choirs. The orchestral accompaniment is available on rental/hire.
SATB and piano or organ or orchestra.
Quem pastores laudavere (German)
Rutter’s arrangement of this traditional German tune pairs a beautiful Latin text with accessible and compelling harmonies.
Offprinted from Weihnachts Carols for Choirs.
Freue dich, Welt (Joy to the world!)
In keeping with its title, this Christmas carol is bursting with joyous energy. Taking Lowell Mason’s melody, which was based on an earlier melody by Handel, Rutter enriches the texture in the lower voices and crowns the final verse with a soaring descant. Offprinted from Weihnachts Carols for Choirs.
Shepherd’s Pipe Carol (SA)
John Rutter has created an arrangement of his much-loved Shepherd’s Pipe Carol for two-part upper-voices, enabling a broader range of upper-voice choirs to access this festive favourite.
Angels’ Carol (unison)
for unison voices (with optional second part) and piano
A joyful carol of celebration with the refrain ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’.
John Rutter Carols for Upper Voices
For countless singers and listeners, the carols of John Rutter form the quintessential repertoire of any Christmas concert or service. Full of joy and tenderness, they illuminate and celebrate the Christmas story in works of great imagination and variety, from the energetic rhythms of ‘Shepherd’s Pipe Carol’ to the delicate beauty of ‘Nativity Carol’, or from the sparkle of the ‘Star Carol’ to the tender loveliness of ‘What sweeter music’. This selection includes nine of Rutter’s most popular carols in versions for upper-voice choirs.
A flower remembered (unison)
Presented here in a version for unison voices, this tender piece was composed in memory of the victims of Fukushima in 2011. It is both reflective and heartfelt, with a simple, appealing melody, rich harmonies, and a flowing accompaniment.
Cityscapes
In this refreshed version of the enduringly popular Partita for Orchestra (1976), John reimagines the original work by assigning new programmatic titles to the piece and its individual movements. The trio of cityscapes opens with ‘Big Apple’, evoking New York’s spirit of innovation and its bustling soundscape, where echoes of Gershwin can be heard. The second movement, ‘Lost City’, maintains a mysterious and atmospheric tone, conjuring the mythical Atlantis more than any modern metropolis. The piece concludes with a musical portrait of London, described by William Dunbar in his 16th-century poem as the ‘Flower of Cities All’. This final movement paints a vivid picture of the capital’s busy arteries, squares, and imposing architecture, interwoven with impressions of its quieter neighbourhoods.
Study score.