Ever since my musical life began, church music has played a significant and cherished part in it: first as a boy soprano in my school chapel choir, then as a teenage organist, much later as director of the chapel choir at Clare College, Cambridge, and most recently as conductor of the Cambridge Singers, whose recordings and recitals often include sacred music. Given this background, it is almost inevitable that among my compositions there should be a fair amount of church music, most of which has been written in response to commissions and invitations. All of the pieces heard on this recording were primarily intended for use in the context of a church service or festival, originally accompanied (with the exception of the two hymn arrangements with brass fanfares) just by organ or piano. However, I also scored the accompaniments for orchestra, and hope they may find use in this more colorful form. John Rutter

Songlist: Te Deum, Be thou my vision, I believe in springtime, Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace, O be joyful in the Lord, All creatures of our God and King, A choral fanfare, As the bridegroom to his chosen, Christ the Lord is risen again, Thy perfect love, The Lord is my light and my salvation, Go forth into the world in peace, Now thank we all our God

Gloria (a concert work, despite the use of a religious text) was commissioned by the Voices of Mel Olson in Omaha, Nebraska, who invited Rutter to direct the first performance in 1974. The words come from the second section (the Hymn of Praise) of the Ordinary of the Mass, which in the liturgy follows the 'Kyrie'. The familiar opening words are those of the angels proclaiming the birth of Jesus, as found in the second chapter of Luke's Gospel. Rutter's setting is based largely on one of the Gregorian chants with which the text is associated. He describes the three movements as 'roughly corresponding to traditional symphonic structure', the mood of the sections being respectively 'exalted, devotional and jubilant by turns'. The use of organ, brass and percussion makes for plenty of Waltonian punch in the outer movements and yet also for a hauntingly ethereal middle section. 'Delicious performances of Rutter's wonderfully approachable and finely crafted vocal writing. The sound, too, is outstanding' (Gramophone)

Songlist: Gloria I : Allegro vivace, Gloria II : Andante, Gloria III : Vivace e ritmico, Come down, O Love divine, Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace, To everything there is a season, I my Best-Beloved's am, Praise the Lord, O my soul, I Will Sing With The Spirit, As the bridegroom to his chosen, A Clare Benediction, The Lord is my light and my salvation, Go forth into the world, Thy perfect love, Te Deum