John Rutter (b.1945)

John Rutter studied music at Clare College, Cambridge and first came to notice as a composer and arranger of Christmas carols and other choral pieces during those early years; today his compositions, including such concert-length works as Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, The Gift of Life, and Visions are performed around the world. John edits the Oxford Choral Classics series, and, with Sir David Willcocks, co-edited four volumes of Carols for Choirs. In 1983 he formed his own choir The Cambridge Singers, with whom he has made numerous recordings on the Collegium Records label, and he appears regularly in several countries as a guest conductor and choral ambassador. John holds a Lambeth Doctorate in Music, and was awarded a CBE for services to music in 2007.

"Cantate Domino, the attractive fifth movement of John Rutter's Psalmfest . . . is worthy of the attention of any proficient school or church choir able to subdivide confidently. Words from Psalm 96 in Latin and mainly English translations are set imaginatively with hints of Purcell, Elgar and Walton, among others, peeping through. The interpolation of a verse of Veni Creator Spiritus is inspired." - Music Teacher, Nov 2001

"This work has similar driving rhythms to the well-known setting of the same words by Pitoni in many places, but there are new and exciting twists. The contrast between 3/8 and 2/4 time is particularly good. Although it would need a great deal of effort to obtain precision with the constantly changing metre it will be worth the trouble . . . I really enjoyed it and can recommend it strongly." - MMA Ensemble, September 2001