John Rutter on the 'Requiem'. 1: Impulse and influence

In the first of a series of short films about the composition of his 'Requiem' (1985), John Rutter discusses the personal and musical impetuses which drove him to begin working on the piece: the death of his father, and an encounter with the original manuscript of Fauré's setting of the Requiem Mass in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.

www.johnrutter.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• John Rutter
• Requiem
• choral
• choir
• Rutter
• Cambridge Singers
• Faure
• Fauré
• death
• composition
• Rutter Requiem

[jersey537]

John Rutter is one of the greats! His music touches the heart and soul. Thank you Mr. Rutter for the beauty and faith you shared with the world.

[scholarmark]

Thank you so much for writing so many lovely pieces that the world likes to hear and sing! Yours is my favourite Requiem setting. And I love all your music, anthems and masses, sacred and secular alike.

(^__^)

[musicimprovedme]

I admire you too, and I am so grateful for having heard this piece. I have studied it under two different conductors and I just love it. So powerful, yet gentle, and haunting yet scary. I just love it, and I love you for writing it.

I heard your requiem first, then Faure's. I can definitely hear the influence. But I like yours better!

Thanks again, Kind Sir, for your music. It is one of my favorite pieces ever, across all periods and genres of music. My world has been blessed for hearing it.

[Alifaith]

I love your Requiem, John Rutter! I have sang it twice now and I think it may be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard!

[bobyman121]

And we are so glad that you did write the Requiem for yourself. Our church just performed your arrangement of "The Lord is My Shepard" from your requiem. It is a beautiful piece, simple and powerful. Inspires humans to reach for all godliness within themselves. Thank you for writing it, you have blessed our lives with all the perfectly inspired music from your requiem.