Rutter CDs

For a birthday which I would rather numerically forget, I was given two memorable CDs…both of music by John Rutter.

‘Be Thou My Vision’…..is a collection of sacred music and includes many of his well-known items such as ‘A Gaelic Blessing’, ‘God be in my Head’, ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’, ‘The Lord Bless You and Keep You’….and many I did not know….

He conducts the Cambridge Singers, and City of London Sinfonia, and it is available from Collegium Records under CSCD 514.

The Sprig of Thyme…..is a collection of traditional songs including ones from England and Ireland, arranged by J.R……there is also one from Newfoundland! Ralph vaughan Williams is also represented with arrangements of five English Folk Songs. It shows the un-mistakeable hand of J.R., not just in his own arrangements, but also in his conducting skill with the same musical accomplices as in the other CD.

This CD is available as CSCD 517.

So I shall be happily singing lustily along the highways and byways of Scotland accompanied by the marvellous music emanating from my car speakers!

Rutter’s Records

Anyone who knows my musical tastes will not be surprised at my interest in John Rutter. The following are the pieces he would like to have as his Desert island Discs.

1. In the Bleak Midwinter…arranged by David Willcocks 
2. Morning…the introduction from part 3 of Haydn’s Creation
3. Gloria in Excelsis from Bach’s B Minor Mass
4. Epilogue from Shakespeare’s Henry Vth
5. Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor
6. Almost Like Being in Love….Lerner and Loewe
7. Rachmaninov’s Symph no 2 (opening of 3rd Movement)
8. ‘Keep me as the Apple of an Eye’ from Compline (sung as plainchant)

That’s what I call eclectic!

For an example of his works click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruMP-aTqJSU&feature=related