He’d received many honors before, but it wasn’t until last week that John Rutter, best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, especially works related to Christmas, received the award of a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours, for services to music.
Rutter, 78, and his music have been a significant presence since at least the 1980s, when he founded The Cambridge Singers and their record label, Collegium Records, and also wrote the beloved anthem (for King’s College, Cambridge’s world-renowned Service of Nine Lessons and Carols), What sweeter music?.
Rutter is also well known across the world for his conducting and his choral workshops, as well as his appearances at festivals and conferences. His catalog of works includes not only dozens (hundreds?) of choral works and arrangements (many of them found in his popular Carols for Choirs collections—created in collaboration with David Willcocks), but works in several other genres, among them extended pieces for choir and orchestra, music for children’s choir, and his acclaimed edition of Fauré’s Requiem.
For many of his fans and colleagues, this latest honor was long overdue, but among Rutter’s own responses was:
“Gosh! I never expected the honor, and I never expected such a generous response to the news. I wish I could thank everyone individually, but please accept this message as heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all. I feel encouraged and uplifted.”
