Celebrating Sir John Rutter’s 80th Birthday
On Sunday 16 November, the College Chapel was filled with warmth, music, and a palpable sense of celebration as we marked the 80th birthday of Sir John Rutter - one of the best-loved figures in British choral music. It was a privilege to welcome Sir John to Merton for this special Evensong, and an added delight that he conducted his own anthem, 'Hymn to the Creator of Light'.
Sir John’s association with Merton stretches back at least fifteen years. Over that time, our choir has sung at numerous Oxford University Press events held in Chapel, many of them under his direction. In 2020 he led the choir - and Sir Bryn Terfel - in the Sheldonian for a filmed tribute to the Oxford vaccine team, which included the premiere of 'Joseph’s Carol'. Two years later Sir John composed a new carol for Merton, 'Was I the Lamb', marking the twentieth anniversary of the chaplaincy of The Revd Canon Simon Jones. Since then, Christmas and Easter collaborations with the Oxford Philharmonic have continued to strengthen a relationship we value enormously.
We were also delighted to welcome our preacher for the evening, the Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Piccadilly. A trained singer and musician, as well as an esteemed broadcaster and writer, Lucy has long been a friend and collaborator of Sir John’s, and offered a thoughtful and uplifting sermon. The service drew together the rich strands of the English choral tradition that Sir John has helped shape so profoundly. Herbert Howells featured prominently in the music - a fitting nod to the composer to whom Hymn to the Creator of Light is dedicated - and the choir gave particularly fine performances of his Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Gloucester Service.
It was a memorable evening: joyful, reflective, and full of gratitude for a composer whose music has touched so many lives, not least here at Merton. We were glad to celebrate Sir John’s extraordinary contribution - and to do so with him in the Chapel that has become a significant place in that ongoing story.
- Ben Nicholas, Director of Music
Photo credit to Hugh Warwick
