Well, this time last night some of us were singing at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast. Having John Rutter as your conductor however is a bit different to a normal concert arrangements though!
For those of a certain age (ok, say in your 30’s), if you were in a school choir, you will no doubt have sung at least one piece by John Rutter in your time (but probably more!). I say that based on my own experiences – I seem to remember that one of the first SATB pieces I ever sang in senior choir was Rutter’s ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’. And from there, whether in school or church choir or indeed Grosvenor, I’ve probably sung about another 20 pieces over the years.
And whether you’re a massive fan or not, it’s clear that Rutter is a composer who has produced a lot of easily accessible music which can be tackled by choirs of all abilities, both old and young, as well as more challenging works.
The Magnificat which we sang last night was a challenging sing, but the 110-strong choir drawn from right across the Northern Ireland choral scene rose to the task!
I hope John enjoyed himself in Belfast and if you were there last night, i hope you enjoyed it too – I know I did.
DT
Photos from Rehearsal:
