Comments on: What Sweeter Music

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:33:37 +0000

I love Rutter!
My daughter sings in the Upper Canada Chorus, a Childrens Choir.
http://www.uppercanadachorus.com/
They sing a lot of Rutter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPTGdg2kW5Y
Here is a clip of a song they sang in England. A Cape Breton Lullaby.

By: Shawn Degenhart

Shawn Degenhart — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:14:03 +0000

I was able to conduct Belmont’s chorale singing “What Sweeter Music” during a weekend festival Belmont hosted with John Rutter in attendance. He critiqued during the masterclass and it was great hearing his feedback on his own piece!

By: Irishlad

Irishlad — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:19:10 +0000

#12 Yes indeedy. 4′33″ of Sweet Fanny Adams, very innovative.

By: Rutter is great!

Rutter is great! — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:27:16 +0000

#11…
ha ha ha! 4′33″ is the only John Cage piece I like. At least when you hear it on a college undergrad recital there’s a chance some oboe or violin major could be practicing down the hall and a beautiful melody might bleed through the walls…

By: KDM

KDM — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:34:47 +0000

#8…

John Cage is a favorite among college music undergrads. Everyone wants to program his 4′33″ on their recital. I can rock that piece OUT.

By: Irishlad

Irishlad — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:28:22 +0000

#8 I totally agree with you about Phelps,he gives Unchained melody the same treatment, instead of singing it straight with his great voice he gives it the Maria Carey and totally tears the backside out of it. Go to youtube and listen to Jan Werner sing Air or You raise me up and hear someone(sadly gone at 30)with a similar range giving them a straight,classic rendering.

By: RF

RF — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:08:29 +0000

Beautiful.

After 30 + Christmas programs over the years, it seems appropriate to mention that the masses want to hear traditional Christmas music in their annual extravaganza.

I live in a small town and one year we tried to do Handel’s Messiah, to a restless crowd. We even tried Jimmy Webb’s “The Animal’s Christman” (which is just brilliant) to yawning crowds. Joe Six Pack wants “O Holy Night.”

This year we do a generic program with the typical Christmas song in every piece and I guarantee they’ll be throwing babies and kissing sisters. Nothing like being popular in a small town.

I envy that you are doing great music to appreciative people. I need to move.

By: Rutter is great!

Rutter is great! — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:56:51 +0000

Ahhhhhhhh… What Sweeter Music, THE one piece of Christmas music I listen to all year long. That melody and those harmonies always bring me to tears - every time I hear that piece. I think Rutter is great - love his Angels’ Carol, too. Remember when Volvo ran that ad several years ago with What Sweeter Music as the music bed? Again, ahhhhhhh…

Irishlad, I agree. It seems like composers of the 20th century, like Aaron Copland, who wrote things with memorable, pretty, “hummable” melodies weren’t taken as seriously as someone like a John Cage whom some consider to be a genius?!?! Crazy.

I was trained classically in music, have a degree from a pretty decent music school and now write songs for a well known publisher… and I write a lot of SG, by the way. That said, Avery, I wouldn’t want to hear ANY SG group, Martin’s included (and I LOVE the Martin’s) try What Sweeter Music. That recording on the Christmas With The Cambridge Singers project is perfection on a compact disc. Why mess with it? Some things should just be what they are and What Sweeter Music is a classical choir piece and should only be sung by a choir.

To support my case, I would offer David Phelps’ recording of Puccini’s Nessun dorma (another classical melody that never ceases to bring a tear to my eye) on his strangely eclectic CD “The Voice.” Granted, he’s got an amazing voice and could absolutely pull it off, but he chooses to treat it like a pop song rather than an opera aria. And I KNOW he could have ripped off a version by Pavarotti or Bjorling or Corelli and I would have completely bought it. But instead he chooses to sing a beautiful Italian aria with an American pop voice and it just comes across… weird. Kinda like I would imagine the Martin’s singing What Sweeter Music.

By: judi

judi — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:41:21 +0000

Speaking of bad Christmas music, an FM station in Missouri (101.1) started playing really hokey Christmas music TODAY. It’s awful. Also, I was in Kmart today shopping for some fall party decorations, and noticed that the artificial Christmas trees are up and decorated, too. All this to stimulate us to spend our way out of the recession, no doubt. Ugh.

By: judi

judi — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:37:06 +0000

Where can we get tickets to your concert?

By: Irishlad

Irishlad — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:34:17 +0000

Harry P my man, how the heck are you? Rutter and basses. The Brits are too poofy to have bass singers.lol. Seriously though take Chanticleer and the King’s Singers,one American the other English. Both similar and both very very good. The difference i hear you cry is; Chanticleer the American group have a decent bass(Eric Alatorre) The King’s Singers bass you can hardly hear. Different tastes i suppose.

By: Irishlad

Irishlad — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:54:46 +0000

It’s interesting to note whilst Rutter is very popular in America the Choral Anglicans of his home country don’t consider him a’serious’ composer. That’s British snobbery for you.

By: Harry Peters

Harry Peters — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:48:02 +0000

Old Harry Peters has done a little John Rutter. His music is beautiful, but he has it in for basses. His bass scores are as high as some tenor parts. lol.

By: Grave Digger

Grave Digger — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:33:39 +0000

Our choir did a John Rutter anthem Sunday morning. I have yet to hear anything by this composer that is short of brilliant.

By: Irishlad

Irishlad — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:22:25 +0000

The rendering of Ave Maria by the St Olaf mens chorus is exquisite also.