John Rutter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir John Rutter CBE
Born	John Milford Rutter (1945-09-24) 24 September 1945 (age 79) London, England
Alma mater	Clare College, Cambridge
Occupation	Composer conductor
Known for	Founding the Cambridge Singers

Sir John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is a famous English composer and conductor. He is best known for his beautiful choral music, which includes many Christmas carols and anthems. He also works as an editor and arranger of music.

A Young Musician's Journey

John Rutter was born in London, England, on September 24, 1945. He grew up in a lively part of London. He went to Highgate School, where he was a chorister, which means he sang in the choir.

While at Highgate, he even took part in the first recording of a famous piece called War Requiem by Benjamin Britten. After school, he studied music at Clare College, Cambridge. He was part of the choir there and even had some of his first songs published while he was still a student. One of these was the popular "Shepherd's Pipe Carol".

From 1975 to 1979, John Rutter was the director of music at Clare College. He helped their choir become very well-known around the world.

Creating the Cambridge Singers

In 1981, John Rutter decided to start his own choir, called the Cambridge Singers. He leads this choir himself. They have recorded many albums of sacred choral music, including his own compositions. He releases these recordings through his own music label, Collegium Records.

John Rutter lives in Hemingford Abbots in Cambridgeshire. He often travels to conduct different choirs and orchestras all over the world.

He also helped create a very popular series of songbooks called Carols for Choirs with Sir David Willcocks.

John Rutter's Music

John Rutter's music is mostly for choirs. He has written many Christmas carols, anthems (songs often sung in churches), and longer musical pieces. Some of his most famous longer works include the Gloria, the Requiem, and the Magnificat.

His Requiem was first performed in Illinois in 1985. In 2002, he wrote a special song called a setting of Psalm 150 for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. This song was performed at a special service in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

He was also asked to write a new anthem, "This is the day", for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. It was performed at Westminster Abbey during the ceremony.

Many choirs have recorded John Rutter's music. He usually conducts his own recordings on his label, Collegium Records. His arrangements were also featured at the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving in 2022 and the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023.

What Inspires His Music

John Rutter's music has a mix of different styles. You can hear influences from French and English choral music from the early 1900s. He also uses ideas from light music and classic American songs. Many of his choral pieces can be performed with an orchestra, using different instruments like strings, woodwinds, or a full orchestra with brass and percussion.

Even though he writes and conducts a lot of religious music, John Rutter said in 2003 that he is not a very religious person. However, he feels deeply spiritual and finds inspiration in the spiritual words of sacred poems and prayers. One of his important works is Mass of the Children, which he wrote after a very sad time in his life.

In an interview in 2009, John Rutter talked about how "genius" can change lives, whether it's through music or other forms of art. He compared the pureness of music to mathematics, noting that the ancient Greeks discovered that musical notes relate to each other using simple number patterns.

Awards and Honors

John Rutter has received many awards and honors for his contributions to music:

• In 1980, he became an honorary fellow of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.
• In 1988, he became a fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians.
• In 1996, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave him a special music doctorate to recognize his work in church music.
• He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2007 for his services to music.
• In 2024, he was knighted, which means he received the title "Sir," also for his services to music.
• In 2008, he became an honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple.
• In 2023, he became a Fellow of The Ivors Academy, which is the highest honor given by this group of music creators.

Some of His Compositions

John Rutter has written many different types of musical pieces. Here are a few examples:

Longer Musical Works

• Suite for Strings (1973)
• Gloria (1974)
• Bang! (opera, 1975)
• The Beatles Concerto (1977)
• Requiem (1985)
• Magnificat (1990)
• Mass of the Children (2003)

Christmas Carols

• "Angels' Carol"
• "Candlelight Carol"
• "Christmas Lullaby"
• "Shepherd's Pipe Carol"
• "Star Carol"
• "What Sweeter Music"

Other Choral Pieces

• "For the beauty of the earth"
• "A Gaelic Blessing"
• "Look at the world"
• "The Lord bless you and keep you"
• "Now thank we all our God"
• "This is the day" (for the Royal Wedding)

See also

In Spanish: John Rutter para niños