This collection of nine of John Rutter's finest and most popular anthems, scored for SA Men, has been carefully compiled to be both accessible to a wide range of choirs and appropriate to the needs of today's liturgy. With the inclusion of so many 'classics' covering a variety of texts and styles, this anthology is ideal for working church choirs requiring flexible options. Accompanied and unaccompanied.

Songlist: A Clare Benediction, A Gaelic Blessing, God Be in my Head, All Things Bright and Beautiful, For the Beauty of the Earth, Look at the World, Open Thou Mine Eyes, The Gift of Each Day, The Lord Bless and Keep You

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

The music on "Collection" embraces both Rutter's sacred and a little of his secular work, most of it commissioned by choirs for specific occasions. "Shepherd's Pipe Carol" (1966) is the earliest piece; "Angels' carol" (1988) and "What Sweeter Music," (written in 1988 for the King's College Choir), are lovely carols. "For the Beauty of the Earth" (1980), "All things bright and beautiful" (1983), "Open Thou Mine Eyes" (1980), A choral fanfare," (1989), "A Prayer of St. Patrick," (1983), "O be joyful in the Lord," (1984), and "A Gaelic Blessing" were all commissioned by American Choirs. Two longer and more ambitious festival anthems, "Behold, the tabernacle of God" and the lovely "O praise the Lord of heaven," are favorites. Secular songs "My true love hath my heart" and "Sing a song of sixpence" exist harmoniously with excepts from Rutter's larger works, "Out of the deep," "Pie Jesu" and "The Lord is my shepherd." Rutter's work never fails to touch us, no matter if sung by any number of childrens' choirs, or by a powerful, veteran ensemble like the Cambridge Singers, whose a cappella cuts, "Open Thou Mine Eyes," "My true love hath my heart," "A choral fanfare," "A prayer for St. Patrick," "Mathew, Mark, Luke and John" and "Sing a Song of Sixpence" are standouts. Accompaniment, understated to heavy and dramatic, is provided by the City of London Sinfonia. A remarkable collection of 22 songs by one of the great composers, conducted by the master himself!

Songlist: For The Beauty Of The Earth, The Lord Is My Shepard, All Things Bright And Beautiful, Shepherd's Pipe Carol, The Lord Bless You And Keep You, Open Thou Mine Eyes, My True Love Hath My Heart, Esurients, Gloria Patri, Out Of The Deep, Pie Jesu, What Sweeter Music, A Choral Fanfare, A Prayer Of St. Patrick, O Be Joyful In The Lord, Behold, The Tabernacle Of God, O Praise The Lord Of Heaven, A Gaelic Blessing, Angel's Carol, Matthew, Mark, Luke, And John, Sing A Song Of Sixpence, Go Forth Into The World Of Peace

Founded in 1986, the Children's Choir of Saint-Marc, who have brought their music to many countries, such as the US, Canada, Russia, Lebanon, Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. They have regularly taken part in the the masses of la Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere in Lyon. Revealed to a much larger audience by the film "The Chorus," the Choir usually involves 55 children, but can grow to as large as 130 children with the addition of the preparation choir and a choir of teenagers. The song selection by director Nicolas Porte ranges from sacred music like Caccini's lovely "Ave Maria," Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's "Richt mich Gott" (Psaume 43) and John Rutter's "Open thou mine eyes" and "The Lord bless you and keep you," to secular songs like Giaoacchino Rossini's spirited "La Fede" and "La speranza," Gilles Vigneault's "Berceuse pour Julie," Jacques Prevert's "La Seine," and Charles Trenet's "Mes jeunes annees." Some piano accompaniment. The full-color liner notes show the Choir in period schoolboy uniforms, in concert. A remarkable movie has brought to our attention a very special and talented group of boys and their director.

Songlist: Ave maria, Richte mich Gott, Maria Mater gratiae, Tantum ergo, Pie Jesu, Pueri Concinite, Beati quorum via, Open thou mine eyes, The Lord bless you and keep you, La fede, La speranza, Berceuse pour Julie, La Seine, Mes jeunes annees

"Grateful Praise" is the 5th excellent CD from Utah-based Contemporary Christian sextet Eclipse. We have been watching Eclipse with great interest since their dynamic performances at the Harmony Sweeps Finals in 2001 and 2002, winners of the Denver and Pacific NW Regionals. The group's trademark sound features tight, smooth harmonies, solid vocal percussion, complex, beautiful arrangements and high energy. Innovative covers of three traditional tunes in the public domain, "All Creatures of Our God and King," begin the album, followed by the touching "Mercy's Arms," "God is Love," the lovely and familiar "Evening Prayer," "Open Thou My Soul," "Go With Me," one of our favorite hymns, "Be Still My Soul," and it finishes strongly with a pair of fine originals, "I Believe in Christ" and "Let The Words." Each note is true here, each arrangement effortlessly perfect. The full color liner notes are as beautiful as any we have ever seen. An album that inspires and lifts us up, on many levels!

Songlist: All Creatures of Our God and King, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, For The Beauty of The Earth, Mercy's Arms, God Is Love, Evening Prayer, Open Thou Mine Eyes, Go With Me, Be Still, My Soul, I Believe In Christ, Let The Words

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