John Rutter The Gift of Life

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The Gift of Life is a six-movement choral celebration of the living earth and its creation. Setting a variety of sacred texts, including new words by the composer, the work includes the mystical ‘Hymn to the Creator of Light’, for double choir, as its central canticle. The surrounding movements offer a kaleidoscope of moods, from the spirited ‘O all ye works of the Lord’ to the majestic ‘O Lord, how manifold are thy works’ and culminating in the inspirational ‘Believe in life’. The accompaniment is available in two versions: full orchestra or chamber ensemble. John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and studied music at Clare College, Cambridge. His compositions embrace choral, orchestral, and instrumental music, and he has edited or co-edited various choral anthologies, including four Carols for Choirs volumes with Sir David Willcocks and the Oxford Choral Classics series. From 1975 to 1979 he was Director of Music at Clare College, and in 1981 formed his own choir, the Cambridge Singers. He now divides his time between composition and conducting and is sought after as a guest conductor for choirs and orchestras around the world. John Rutter’s music has been widely recorded and is available on many record labels including Universal, Naxos, and Hyperion.The Cambridge Singers have recorded many of his works on the Collegium Records label. John Rutter was awarded a CBE in the 2007 New Year’s Honours List, in recognition of his outstanding services to music. ‘The most successful and well-known composer of choral music in recent British history’ BBC Music Magazine OTHER CHORAL WORKS BY JOHN RUTTER AVAILABLE FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS: Birthday Madrigals Dancing Day Fancies Five Childhood Lyrics Five Traditional Songs Gloria Magnificat Mass of the Children Psalmfest Requiem The Sprig of Thyme When Icicles Hang Winchester Te Deum For more details about John Rutter and his music, please contact Oxford University Press, Music Department. Cover image: ‘Adam and Eve’ design by Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857–1941). Private Collection/The Stapleton Collection/Bridgeman Art Library. ISBN 978-0-19-341150-0 9 780193 411500