John Rutter (b. 1945)
Brass at Christmas
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus/Darius Battiwalla
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas Childs
rec. 2023, various locations
Texts included 
Reviewed from 16-bit/44.1kHz download
Naxos 8.574564 [57}

Brass bands and music by John Rutter seem to me to be the epitome of Christmas, with all the emotion and nostalgia involved and so I really looked forward to reviewing this CD. John Rutter is probably the most acclaimed and successful composer of carols alive today. His large selection of popular sacred choral pieces in the genre reflect and celebrate the Christmas story. Rutter’s unerring sense of melody combined with a rich harmonic palette make his music instantly accessible to both performers and audiences alike. This recording brings together a selection of his most famous Christmas carols in beautiful new arrangements for brass performed by the Black Dyke Band. Black Dyke are one of the world’s premier brass bands with many CDs to their name. Recently reviewed played by them, is Bliss – Works for Brass Band. I was particularly impressed by their 2023 release Force of Nature which, unusually for a brass band CD, reached the classical best-seller charts. They have also previously recorded a CD of Rutter music Anthems, Hymns & Gloria for Brass Band in 2020 which is reviewed here. To quote Rutter from the CD booklet, “The Black Dyke Band is among my all-time musical heroes, and this new album is a gem from start to finish. It will make many listeners’ Christmases merry.”

The arranger of all the pieces for brass band is Luc Vertommen (b. 1968) who was born in Belgium and after his training worked with many leading Belgian (symphonic) orchestras and ensembles as a free-lance trumpet player. Shortly after, he was immersed full time in the band music world, on the one hand as Brass and Instrumental Ensemble teacher at the music academy of Zaventem and as Band Conducting teacher at the Servais Academy of Halle, and on the other as conductor of Brass Band Buizingen, of the Royal Fanfare Band ‘De Berthoutzonen’ of Hallaar and Delta Brass Zeeland (NL). Some of the tracks also involve Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, who are South Yorkshire’s foremost large mixed-voice chorus, performing regularly with leading orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Manchester Camerata, with internationally renowned conductors. 

We cannot pass on, though, before mentioning the conductors. First, Black Dyke’s musical director, Nicholas Childs who is a leading figure in the worldwide brass community as well as having an international reputation as a performer, teacher, conductor, interpreter and advocate of new music. He has had continued success in contests, including the British Open, National and European Brass Band Championships. Sheffield Philharmonic’s conductor is Darius Battiwalla who has been music director of the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus since 1997. In addition to preparing it for visiting orchestras and conductors, including Mark Elder, Gianandrea Noseda, Nicholas Kraemer and Paul Daniel, he has conducted the choir in performances with The Hallé, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and directed from the harpsichord with the Manchester Camerata. The production/sound engineer is Phil Hardman who has a well-deserved reputation for the quality of his recording work which is amply demonstrated on the recent Malcolm Arnold  – Music for brass band CD reviewed here. Hardman has produced this CD meaning that it’s the same team that so successfully produced the 2020 Rutter album. 

O Clap Your Hands was composed in 1973 and dedicated to Lionel Dakers and the Incorporated Association of Organists. It was originally written for four-part choir and organ; Rutter also wrote a version with orchestral accompaniment that has been recorded several times. Using verses from Psalm 47, the syncopated bass line of the opening helps create the exuberance suggested by the title. It’s lively, seamlessly mixing voices with brass with a wonderful quality of sound recording so that even the quietist of instruments can be heard.

Written in the 1980s and using his own text, Angels’ Carol has become one of the most popular of the composer’s works. Originally composed to be performed by the winners of a now defunct choirboy and choirgirl competition, it exists in several forms including four-part mixed voice choir using different instrumental accompaniment and versions for upper voices only. Black Dyke play it wonderfully with all the warmth that brass instruments bring to tonal colour; it is gentle yet upbeat.

Commissioned by Red Balloon, an organisation dedicated to the recovery of children who have experienced bullying, trauma, mental ill-health or have social, emotional and mental health needs, Carol of the Magi tells the story of the Wise Men’s journey to Bethlehem. An Epiphany carol, the beautiful melody originally scored for cello is wonderfully transcribed here to euphonium. The piece begins with a appealing tune on the euphonium which is repeated several times supported by the whole band. It’s a slow and demonstrates well Rutter’s skill at writing memorable harmonies.

Published in 2004, Rejoice and Be Merry was composed for Dr J. Reilly and the Washington Cathedral Choral Society. The joyful music totally reflects the text and meaning of the Christmas story in this upbeat carol which begins with a fanfare and remains jolly and uplifting throughout, involving the whole band as we hear the fanfare repeated several times by lower brass before finishing with a flourish from the cornets.

Thou My Vision is a well-known hymn very often sung to the traditional Irish tune Slane. However, when writing this hymn for Dr Paul Thomas and the Oratorio Choir of St Michael and All Angels Church, Dallas, Rutter utilised the alternative melody published in 1912 by Eleanor Hull. The piece displays Rutter’s wonderful gift of writing beautiful melodies of deceptive simplicity. This arrangement by Vertommen is a gentle, reflective and nostalgic tune.

Star Carol was composed for The Bach Choir and its then conductor Sir David Willcocks. It fulfilled the brief to write a piece that had a refrain that was memorable and able to be sung by children in the audience during the choir’s popular Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. Joyous and jaunty music results played as ever with elan by Black Dyke.

Dormi, Jesu (also known as The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn) was written in 1999 for performance by the choir of King’s College Cambridge with conductor Stephen Cleobury, during the broadcast on Christmas Eve of the college’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Beautiful, warm and flowing, it’s a real catchy melody but it’s all over too soon. 

One of Rutter’s earliest and most endearing carols, Nativity Carol was composed in 1963. With its gentle, lullaby feel, warm melody, and existing in many different settings, it remains a firm favourite of choirs of all abilities. On this CD, it’s the second piece involving Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus. The musicianship of these talented singers shines through and is perfectly balanced with the warm tones of the band – it is a real, stirring Christmas carol.

Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition that has been practised in Britain, especially in the southern counties, for centuries. Originally thought to have been used as a way to encourage a good harvest by singing, drinking and dancing throughout apple and pear orchards, it also extends to passing from house to house and wishing good health for the following year to the occupants and offering a sup from the wassail bowl. Published in 1969, Rutter’s setting of Here We Come a-Wassailing with its jaunty compound rhythms evokes the jocular spirit of this ancient tradition. Wonderful music quality creating a warm lyrical, inspiring, foot tapping piece. We hear Christmas bells and can imagine people dancing joyfully.

Commissioned by the organist and choir of Sandringham Church New Year was premiered on New Year’s eve 2016.It’s slow, maybe a little mournful, echoing the carol’s message of hope for the year to come.

Shepherd’s Pipe Carol was John Rutter’s first composition to be published. Written in 1965 while he was still a student at Clare College, Cambridge, it had its first performance at a Christmas concert given by the choir of Clare College with Rutter himself conducting. It came to the attention of David Willcocks, then director of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, who asked for a copy of the manuscript. It was to be the start of a long and successful partnership between the two. The carol’s lyrics tell the story of a shepherd boy playing his pipes as he follows the star to Bethlehem. The jaunty melody suggests a boy tripping along happily on his quest to play his pipes in the stable for the baby Jesus. Rutter achieves an almost dance like feeling with the  use of syncopation and the introduction of triple time metre in the refrain.

Christmas Lullaby was commissioned by The Bach Choir in 1989 to celebrate the seventieth birthday of David Willcocks and was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s an extremely popular carol, with a haunting melody that has real “Christmas feeling”.  Once again admirably played by Black Dyke.

Jesus Child was written in 1973 for Simon Lindley and the choir of St Albans School. This lively carol, with its Caribbean inspired rhythms and narrative text about the birth of Jesus. It’s full of energy with a great beat; once again the melody is taken up by different instruments and there’s some great playing from the percussion team of the band.

In 1984, Rutter was commissioned by John Romeri, director of music at the Church of Assumption in Bellevue, Pennsylvania, to write a carol to celebrate the Virgin Mary and her love for her son. The result was Candlelight Carol, with the piece being recorded by the composer’s group the Cambridge Singers. It has a very lovely, approachable melody, really demonstrating the warmth that brass instruments can bring to a piece.

Te Deum is a setting of fifth century words which Rutter composed in 1988. It was originally written with organ accompaniment for the Guild of Church Musicians for its Centenary Service in Canterbury Cathedral. The composer later expanded the accompaniment to include brass, timpani and percussion. There is also a later third version for orchestra. This version for brass band is perfect for the piece, recalling as it does the pageantry which for centuries has formed part of the English choral tradition. It is choral music on a grand scale, less intimate than many of the other pieces on the CD but once again the musicianship shines through.

Without a doubt, John Rutter is a master of taking well-known music and breathing new life and freshness into it. His brilliant, lively setting of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, a traditional Christmas favourite, concludes this festive album.

This is a beautiful, heart-warming CD, definitely in the Christmas mood. The notes in the CD booklet written by Philip Goodwin are excellent and complement the professionalism of the recording; they have been of great assistance to me in writing this review. The CD booklet also contains the text of the three sung carols.

Ken Talbot

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Contents
Angels’ Carol (1988)*
Carol of the Magi (2009)*
Rejoice and Be Merry (2004)* 
Be Thou My Vision (1989)*
Star Carol (1972)*
Dormi, Jesu (1999)*
rec. 26 June 2023 at Morley Town Hall, Leeds
Traditional, arr. Rutter: Here We Come a-Wassailing* 
New Year (2006)*
Shepherd’s Pipe Carol (1965) 
Christmas Lullaby (1989)
Jesus Child (1973)
Candlelight Carol (1984)* 
Traditional, arr. Rutter: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Rec. 9 November 2023 at Denshaw Village Hall, Oldham
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas Childs
O Clap Your Hands (1973)*
Nativity Carol (1963)*
Te Deum (1988)*
Rec. 20 November 2023 at Birkdale School, Sheffield