John Rutter was born in London and studied music at Clare
College, Cambridge. He first came to notice as a composer during his
student years; much of his early work consisted of church music and
other choral pieces including Christmas carols. From 1975–79 he was
Director of Music at his /alma mater/, Clare College, and directed the
college chapel choir in various recordings and broadcasts. Since 1979 he
has divided his time between composition and conducting. Today his
compositions, including such concert-length works as /Requiem/,
/Magnificat/, /Mass of the Children/, /The Gift of Life/, and /Visions
/are performed around the world. His music has featured in a number of
British royal occasions, including the two most recent royal weddings.
He edits the /Oxford Choral Classics/ series, and, with Sir David
Willcocks, co-edited four volumes of /Carols for Choirs/. In 1983 he
formed his own choir the Cambridge Singers, with whom he has made
numerous recordings, and he appears regularly in several countries as
guest conductor and choral ambassador. He holds a Lambeth Doctorate in
Music, and in 2007 was awarded a CBE for services to music.
