MUSIC BY JOHN RUTTER HOW TO

I was conscious of following Bach's example in adding to the liturgical text вЂ“ with the lovely old English poem 'Of a Rose' and the prayer 'Sancta Maria' (both of which strengthen the Marian connection) and with the interpolated 'Sanctus', sung to the Gregorian chant of the Missa cum jubilo in the third movement. These images of outdoor celebration were, I think, somewhere in my mind as I wrote, though I was not fully conscious of the fact till afterwards. In countries such as Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, feast days of the Virgin are joyous opportunities for people to take to the streets and celebrate with singing, dancing and processions.

MUSIC BY JOHN RUTTER HOW TO

I had long wished to write an extended Magnificat, but was not sure how to approach it until I found my starting point in the association of the text with the Virgin Mary. Bach's time give the text extended treatment. Musical settings of it abound, though surprisingly few of them since J.S. The вЂ¦ Magnificat вЂ“ a poetic outpouring of praise, joy and trust in God, ascribed by Luke to the Virgin Mary on learning that she was to give birth to Christ вЂ“ has always been one of the most familiar and well-loved of scriptural texts, not least because of its inclusion as a canticle in the Catholic office of Vespers and in Anglican Evensong. Rutter supplied a singing version in English for the complete work. The text of the doxology in the last movement is interspersed with a prayer to Mary, ' Sancta Maria, succure miseris' (Holy Mary, help those in need). In the third movement, the beginning of the Sanctus is inserted after the mentioning of 'sanctum nomen eius' (his holy name). In addition to the liturgical Latin text, he chose a 15th-century poem, which compares Mary to a rose. Rutter was inspired by 'jubilant celebrations of Mary in Hispanic cultures' and conceived the work as a 'bright Latin-flavoured fiesta'. Magnificat was composed on a commission by MidAmerica Productions, a concert organisation in New York performing in Carnegie Hall with a choir of about 200 voices selected in the United States. Rutter followed the tradition of setting it to music, especially the work by Johann Sebastian Bach which also structures the text in movements of different character. It is a daily part in Catholic vesper services and Anglican Evening Prayer. Mary sings the song on the occasion of her visit to Elizabeth, as narrated in the Gospel of Luke ( Luke 1:39вЂ“56). The Magnificat or Song of Mary is one of the three New Testament canticles, the others being Nunc dimittis and Benedictus. 4 Performance, recording and publishing.predictable exercise in glitzy populism'. Critical reception has been mixed, appreciating that the 'orchestration is brilliant and very colourful' and 'the music weaves a magical spell of balm and peace', but also experiencing a 'virtual encyclopedia of musical cliches, aВ . While the canticle Magnificat was often set to music, being a regular part of Catholic vespers and Anglican evensong, Rutter's work is one of few extended settings, along with Bach's composition. Oxford University Press published Magnificat in 1991 and Of a Rose, a lovely Rose separately in 1998. The composer conducted the first performance in Carnegie Hall on, and the first recording with the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia. The music includes elements of Latin American music. The extended composition in seven movements 'for soprano or mezzo-soprano solo, mixed choir, and orchestra (or chamber ensemble)' is based on the Latin text, interspersed with ' Of a Rose, a lovely Rose', an anonymous English poem on Marian themes, the beginning of the Sanctus and a prayer to Mary. The Magnificat by John Rutter is a musical setting of the biblical canticle Magnificat, completed in 1990.

Music by john rutter