John Rutter - The Gift Of Music: The Choral Collection
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 13662-3691 LABEL: Universal Classics & Jazz FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £16.99
Reviewed by Tony Cummings
With this month the 60th birthday of Britain's most successful choral composer Universal here put before a mass audience a magnificent exploration of John Rutter's Collegium catalogue. With the tracks selected by the great man himself this offers 22 recordings with 14 being from his sacred music repertoire. And wonderful they are too, ranging from the music Rutter put to St Francis of Assissi's timeless "Lord, Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace", John's adaptation of an old Gaelic tune "A Gaelic Blessing" through to Sydney Carter and old spirituals. The Cambridge Singers do the bulk of the singing and are in fine voice. The 'Secular Music' section works well too with the lovely Irish folk song "I Know Where I'm Going" a standout. If you're looking to explore the choral tradition, the 77 minutes of music here will be a revelation.
The opinions expressed in this article are
not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed
views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may
not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a
later date.
Interested in reviewing music? Find out
more here.