John Rutter

We’ll be singing John Rutter’s arrangement of the Sans Day Carol (‘Now the holly bears a berry’) at our Christmas Day service at 9:30am.

Rutter (b. 1945) probably needs no introduction: for many decades no Christmas services was complete without at least one carol by him. Rutter has a knack for writing catchy melodies with dance-like rhythms, all underpinned by meticulous part-writing and masterful compositional expertise.

Rutter did perhaps more than any other composer of the late twentieth century to popularize contemporary sacred music. It must be at least partly thanks to him that we are now spoilt for choice when it comes to twenty-first century music for the church, and that so many exciting and imaginative serious music composers are able to make a living doing what they do.

The following link takes you to a special event, Confessions of a Carol Composer, in which Rutter will chat with Anna Lapwood, Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. One for the early birds: it starts at 5am Wednesday morning South Australian time!