Collegium Records
Rutter: Mass Of The Children / Rutter, Cambridge Singers
$18.99
Details
- Composer
- RUTTER, JOHN
- Artist
- Rutter, Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, Lunn, Williams, Jones, Wall
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Collegium Records
- Released
- Sep 01, 2003
- Catalog #
- COLCD129
- UPC
- 040888012924
About
John Rutter has an unmistakable style whose identifying characteristics include some favorite rhythmic and melodic elements, devices that tell us immediately that this is the composer of both For the beauty of the earth (one of Rutter's more popular, enduring anthems) and Look at the world, written in 1996 for The Council for the Protection of rural England, and one of eight pieces included on this disc (besides the title work), all of which were composed for various occasions during the past 10 years. Many of the familiar and well-loved staples of Rutter's music are here--the flowing melodies, catchy rhythms, and pop-tinged harmonies; but there also is much evidence of a composer both as inspired as in his classic What sweeter music and more complex than usual in both thematic ideas and expressive technique.
The opening of the outstanding Mass of the Children (a work completed in early 2003 and first performed at a Carnegie Hall concert) is full of promise, its exciting, engaging, Britten-esque tune for children's chorus capturing our attention and setting the stage for a fresh, new experience. I only wish that Rutter had continued with this idea and developed it--or at least played off its dancing, jaunty style. But instead the children's song melds (albeit very nicely and easily) into a Kyrie that's more comfortably in the traditional Rutter character--a perfectly effective transition and comprised of very fine, well-fashioned music, but leaving us to imagine what greater adventures might have been.
There are many more marvelous passages for the children's voices, including the lovely Benedictus, a lilting, Siciliana-like section whose initial gentleness expands into a full-bodied expression, joined by the adult choir and soloists. One of the more affecting passages--and most impressive in terms of text setting, mood, and orchestration--is the Agnus Dei, whose opening minutes capture the profound seriousness and eternal consequences of our plea for mercy. Just as suddenly, the children take over with a tender, beguiling setting of William Blake's The Lamb, returning our thoughts to the innocent one who "became a little child", the one to whom we pray. Then, not unsurprisingly for this optimistic composer, we're left with a Dona nobis pacem benediction that's as strongly reassuring as we can imagine. In addition to the standard Latin Missa brevis texts, Rutter also characteristically organizes his material by inserting texts from other sources, "giving the whole work the framework of a complete day, from waking to sleeping", beginning and ending with settings of a morning and evening hymn by Bishop Thomas Ken.
The remaining works are highlighted by A Clare Benediction (which Rutter wrote for his alma mater), the a cappella Musica Dei donum (widely known for its inclusion in the tribute to Linda McCartney, A Garland for Linda), and an unusual and quite demanding setting of Come down, O Love divine for unaccompanied double choir. The Cambridge Singers (whose roster shows a major turnover of singers from its last incarnation) is as vocally well-matched, technically polished, and musically involving as always. The Cantate Youth Choir is a delight, and the two soloists are ideal. The sound grants both spaciousness and warmth to the singers and orchestra, so that in all it's hard to imagine a session with this recording that would be anything less than satisfying, especially for Rutter fans, who will have to have this--and who will be thrilled to have a new release from this revered composer and his choir, whose recordings during the past few years have been all too few and far between. [9/8/2003]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
The opening of the outstanding Mass of the Children (a work completed in early 2003 and first performed at a Carnegie Hall concert) is full of promise, its exciting, engaging, Britten-esque tune for children's chorus capturing our attention and setting the stage for a fresh, new experience. I only wish that Rutter had continued with this idea and developed it--or at least played off its dancing, jaunty style. But instead the children's song melds (albeit very nicely and easily) into a Kyrie that's more comfortably in the traditional Rutter character--a perfectly effective transition and comprised of very fine, well-fashioned music, but leaving us to imagine what greater adventures might have been.
There are many more marvelous passages for the children's voices, including the lovely Benedictus, a lilting, Siciliana-like section whose initial gentleness expands into a full-bodied expression, joined by the adult choir and soloists. One of the more affecting passages--and most impressive in terms of text setting, mood, and orchestration--is the Agnus Dei, whose opening minutes capture the profound seriousness and eternal consequences of our plea for mercy. Just as suddenly, the children take over with a tender, beguiling setting of William Blake's The Lamb, returning our thoughts to the innocent one who "became a little child", the one to whom we pray. Then, not unsurprisingly for this optimistic composer, we're left with a Dona nobis pacem benediction that's as strongly reassuring as we can imagine. In addition to the standard Latin Missa brevis texts, Rutter also characteristically organizes his material by inserting texts from other sources, "giving the whole work the framework of a complete day, from waking to sleeping", beginning and ending with settings of a morning and evening hymn by Bishop Thomas Ken.
The remaining works are highlighted by A Clare Benediction (which Rutter wrote for his alma mater), the a cappella Musica Dei donum (widely known for its inclusion in the tribute to Linda McCartney, A Garland for Linda), and an unusual and quite demanding setting of Come down, O Love divine for unaccompanied double choir. The Cambridge Singers (whose roster shows a major turnover of singers from its last incarnation) is as vocally well-matched, technically polished, and musically involving as always. The Cantate Youth Choir is a delight, and the two soloists are ideal. The sound grants both spaciousness and warmth to the singers and orchestra, so that in all it's hard to imagine a session with this recording that would be anything less than satisfying, especially for Rutter fans, who will have to have this--and who will be thrilled to have a new release from this revered composer and his choir, whose recordings during the past few years have been all too few and far between. [9/8/2003]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Tracklist 13 tracks
-
1 Kyrie 07:25
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Kyrie
- Duration
- 07:25
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Joanne Lunn, Roderick Williams
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
2 Gloria 07:25
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Gloria
- Duration
- 07:25
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Joanne Lunn, Roderick Williams
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
3 Sanctus and Benedictus 07:08
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Sanctus and Benedictus
- Duration
- 07:08
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Joanne Lunn, Roderick Williams
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
4 Agnus Dei 05:57
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Agnus Dei
- Duration
- 05:57
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
5 Finale (Dona nobis pacem) 08:55
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Finale (Dona nobis pacem)
- Duration
- 08:55
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Joanne Lunn, Roderick Williams
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
6 Look at the world 04:33
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Look at the world
- Duration
- 04:33
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
7 To every thing there is a season 06:05
- Track
- 7
- Title
- To every thing there is a season
- Duration
- 06:05
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
8 Wings of the morning 05:40
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Wings of the morning
- Duration
- 05:40
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
9 A Clare Benediction 03:07
- Track
- 9
- Title
- A Clare Benediction
- Duration
- 03:07
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
10 I will sing with the spirit 03:02
- Track
- 10
- Title
- I will sing with the spirit
- Duration
- 03:02
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
11 Musica Dei donum 05:35
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Musica Dei donum
- Duration
- 05:35
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Karen Jones
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
12 I my Best-Beloved's am 06:40
- Track
- 12
- Title
- I my Best-Beloved's am
- Duration
- 06:40
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Simon Wall
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
13 Come down, O Love divine 06:20
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Come down, O Love divine
- Duration
- 06:20
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Performer
- Elin Manahan Thomas
- Ensemble
- Cantate Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers
- Conductor
- John Rutter