A collection of John Rutter's anthems, featuring eleven of his best compositions. These selections have been carefully chosen to reflect the breadth and beauty of Rutter's sacred choral music making this collection an invaluable addition to any music library.

Songlist: God Be In My Head, A Prayer Of Saint Patrick, All Things Bright And Beautiful, For The Beauty Of The Earth, I Will Sing With The Spirit, Look At The World, Go Forth Into The World In Peace, A Clare Benediction, The Lord Bless You And Keep You, The Peace Of God, A Choral Amen

21 favorite Rutter anthems, taken from classic Cambridge recordings. The talented, prolific (29 excellent CDs in the Primarily A Cappella catalog) 33-strong, mixed-voice Cambridge Singers were founded by John Rutter after he gave up his position as Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge in 1979, to allow himself more time for composition. Here are 21 of Rutter's finest Christian anthems, culled from the many fine recordings by the Singers. The title tune, "Open thou mine eyes," the lovely "Wings of the morning," the triumphant "O be joyful in the Lord," "All things bright and beautiful," "As the bridegroom to his chosen," the soaring "Loving Shepherd of thy sheep," "O clap your hands," "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace," "God be in my head," "Thy perfect love" - these are all joyful, positive songs of worship and celebration, the best of everything we love about John Rutter and his Singers. Some accompaniment. "Be Thou My Vision" is a winning, inspirational collection!

Songlist: Be thou my vision, Open thou mine eyes, I Will Sing With The Spirit, A Gaelic Blessing, Wings of the morning, O be joyful in the Lord, All things bright and beautiful, I will lift up mine eyes, As the bridegroom to his chosen, A Prayer of Saint Patrick, Loving Shepherd of thy sheep, Look at the world, O clap your hands, The Lord is my light and my salvation, Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, I believe in springtime, God Be in My Head, A Clare Benediction, For The Beauty Of The Earth, Thy perfect love, The Lord bless you and keep you

The music heard on this recording represents a cross-section of the sacred choral pieces I have written over a period of some twelve years. Two paramount considerations have shaped it: first, the performers and occasions it was commissioned for, and second, the texts (which I always choose with great deliberation). Gloria, the most substantial piece, was written as a concert work. The Latin text, drawn from the Ordinary of the Mass, is a centuries-old challenge to the composer: exalted, devotional and jubilant by turns. My setting, which is based mainly on one of the Gregorian chants associated with the text, divides into three movements roughly corresponding with traditional symphonic structure. The other pieces are all anthems, primarily intended for use in the context of a church service. They range in difficulty from very simple to fairly challenging, though it was my hope in writing them that none would be beyond the reach of a capable church choir. Although the accompaniments were originally for organ (or, in the case of For the beauty of the earth and All things bright and beautiful, for piano), I enjoyed scoring them for orchestra and prefer them in this form. The three unaccompanied pieces, however, (God be in my head, Open thou mine eyes, and A prayer of Saint Patrick) reflect my love of the a cappella medium.

Songlist: First Movement: Allegro vivace, Second Movement: Andante, Third Movement: Vivace e ritmico, O clap your hands, All things bright and beautiful, The Lord is my shepherd, A Gaelic Blessing, For The Beauty Of The Earth, Praise ye the Lord, God be in my head, Open thou mine eyes, A prayer of Saint Patrick, The Lord bless you and keep you

John Rutter composed his Requiem in 1985. The work follows the precedents of Brahms and Faure in using carefully selected texts in place of much of the standard Missa Pro defunctis sequence. The resulting composition has an arch-like formal structure within which is contained some of Rutter's most haunting (and, in the case of 'The Lord is my shepherd', well known) choral music to date. Also included are two items from the Birthday madrigals collection composed in honour of the jazz pianist George Shearing, and eight further sacred works. The double-choir Hymn to the Creator of Light is a wonderful composition, far removed from the romantic style with which Rutter has sometimes been associated; 'A disc to delight all those who admire Rutter's choral writing. Full of delights and with something for everyone. Certainly a must!' (Organists' Review)

Songlist: Requiem, Requiem aeternam, Out of the deep, Pie Jesu with ROSA MANNION soprano, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, The Lord is my shepherd, Lux aeterna with ROSA MANNION soprano, Hymn to the Creator of Light, God be in my head, A Gaelic Blessing, Cantate Domino, Open thou mine eyes, A Prayer of Saint Patrick, A Choral Fanfare, Draw on, sweet night, My true love hath my heart, The Lord bless you and keep you