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Join Choir of the Earth for a short summer course to learn, sing and record two mainstays of the modern choral repertoire: John Rutter’s Look At The World and The Lord Bless You And Keep You.
What we will learn
During two weeks of online teaching, we will explore these much-loved contemporary classics by John Rutter, both as a full choir and in voice part sections:
Look At The World
Look at the World is a joyful anthem celebrating the natural world and our responsibility to care for it. Written in 1996 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, it features words by Rutter himself. The text invites us to notice the wonders around us, from changing seasons and growing plants to the landscapes we share, returning throughout to a refrain of praise and thanksgiving.
The Lord Bless You And Keep You
The Lord Bless You and Keep You is a short, tender anthem setting the ancient blessing from the Book of Numbers, which asks for God’s protection, grace and peace. Composed in 1981, it was written for a memorial service for Edward T. Chapman, Rutter’s former music teacher at Highgate School. Chapman had encouraged the young composer’s talent, giving this setting a particularly personal significance.
About the composer
Sir John Rutter (1945 -)
© johnrutter.com
Sir John Rutter is a British composer, conductor and arranger whose music is sung by choirs around the world. Born in London in 1945, he studied music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he later served as Director of Music.
His compositions range from anthems and Christmas carols to larger choral works, including Requiem, Magnificat and Mass of the Children.
Alongside his composing, Rutter founded the Cambridge Singers, with whom he has made numerous recordings, and has worked internationally as a guest conductor. His contribution to choral repertoire also includes co-editing four volumes of Carols for Choirs with Sir David Willcocks. He was awarded a CBE in 2007 and received a knighthood for services to music in 2024.
His music is familiar to Choir of the Earth, which has previously sung his Requiem and many of his shorter pieces, including several of his Christmas works.
Our teaching and resources
The course will be directed by Choir of the Earth Musical Director Ben England, who teaches the music note by note and voice part by voice part through a programme of online rehearsals. Each week begins with a full choir rehearsal, followed by separate sessions focusing on individual voice parts. Rehearsals are usually around an hour long and, if you cannot attend live, every session is recorded, so you can catch up when it suits you best.
You will also have access to high-quality voice part louder rehearsal tracks to help you learn the music between rehearsals. Separate tracks are provided for each voice part, with your part louder than the other voices so that you can hear it clearly while you learn. These are the same tracks used during our rehearsals, so as Ben teaches the music you can hear exactly what you need to replicate - not only the notes and rhythms, but also the phrasing, dynamics, pronunciation and other musical details that bring each piece to life.
You can attend as many rehearsals as you like, learn more than one voice part if you wish, and take the course at your own pace. There is no requirement to record: some singers simply enjoy the teaching, while others submit their voice from home to become part of our final performance.
Both works are under copyright, so you will need to buy scores at a small extra cost, which will be yours to keep. We will provide information about how to order these.
Join us!
Everyone is welcome to join Choir of the Earth. There are no auditions - just sign up as a member and you’re already in!
Sign up now to become a member of Choir of the Earth. Access ongoing courses, recording opportunities, superb teaching, a thriving international community of choral singers, plus lots of other exclusive resources, content and benefits, including access to our new choral resources library! Yearly members save 12% (that's 6 weeks of singing absolutely free!).
Hear us in action
Please enjoy some of our previous performances of John Rutter’s music below. Will you be part of our next recording? 🎶