John Rutter is one of those composers whose name provokes strong contrasting emotions in musicians of all kinds be they performers, fellow composers or audiences. So the fact that Decca have chosen to use his name as very much the masthead for this album is likely to dictate an inclination to purchase or not before the contents are even considered. The expectation of a Christmas cracker or a frozen turkey will be based as much on prior experience as current consideration. Well, I am firmly in the admiring camp and especially when Rutter is essaying the field for which he is best known and first made his name – the Christmas Carol. His role as co-editor with David Willcocks of the multiple volumes of Carols for Choirs has provided singers - and congregations or audiences - around the world with a phenomenally practical and valuable resource that enriches the traditional Christian view of Christmas hugely. As both a tool and an archive this has to be on a level with Vaughan Williams’ editing of
Songs of Praise in 1925 rev. 1931.
But what exactly are you getting
here under the prominent “John Rutter” label? Well aside from his conducting - appropriate and unfussy as ever - not overly much. Of the twenty-three tracks only two are actual Rutter compositions although a further two have original Rutter fanfares strapped onto the front of them. Then there are seven Rutter arrangements and a final three Rutter orchestrations. Which means that nine tracks have no Rutter input aside from the baton waving. For me this is a disappointment because I really do enjoy his original compositions and arrangements – try his version of Adam’s
O Holy Night [track 15] which is mellifluously beautiful; well arranged, sympathetically laid out for the choir and winningly if somewhat cinematic in its final peroration. For an excellent collection dedicated solely to his work as composer/arranger - although without the Adam carol mentioned - I find it still hard to beat the Hyperion disc
Rutter: Music for Christmas CDA67245. Elsewhere, he finds himself in further competition with himself and his excellent Cambridge singers on a mid-price Collegium compilation
John Rutter at Christmas.
But then no Christmas album is entering an uncrowded marketplace
so this must be considered on its own merits. There are several
and significant pluses. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is
predictably excellent – unfussily accomplished. Likewise the
Bach Choir sounds thoroughly engaged in the whole project and
sing with a beautiful tonal blend and considerable finesse or
power as required. As recorded they do not have quite the same
impact and bite that their earlier incarnation did on Chandos
under David Willcocks where they were accompanied by the thrillingly
brazen Kneller Hall fanfare trumpeters [currently available
as Christmas: Bach Choir - Family Carols on Chandos Collect
CHAN6671]. No real surprise the choir and orchestra sound so
good when you see that Decca have rolled out the experienced
team of producer Chris Hazell and engineer Tony Faulkner to
oversee things. Considerably less credit to the A&R of Tom
Lewis who decided – one assumes it is his department’s responsibility
– to take an excellent if traditional album and give it ‘mass
appeal’ by the addition of some ill-advised middle-of-the-road
song choices in the main featuring ‘guest artists’ Over the
Bridge. No, I hadn’t heard of them before either. The link,
I guess, is that they are a male close-harmony group of singers
from Rutter’s old university – Cambridge. If that makes them
sound like King’s-Singers-Lite well that is what they are. And,
as with the King’s Singers, their Choral Scholar background
means that the pops numbers become toe-curlingly coy. Close
harmony swing needs a jazz Swingle-esque/Manhattan Transfer
background to work and when it does it can be stunning, here
it remains resolutely British – and I do not mean that as a
compliment in this context! By a country mile their best track
is a King’s Singers arrangement of a Spanish carol/folksong
[track 7] – here, in their element, they prove to be a group
of proficient singers although some way off being remarkable.
Their following track – I wonder as I wander – starts
veering toward the saccharin not helped by Bob Chilcott’s rather
sentimental arrangement. As this tune wandered I did wonder
why they chose to use the Chilcott arrangement since Rutter’s
own as performed on the Hyperion disc is a gently lyrical gem
- very much in the tradition of Vaughan Williams’ folk-song
settings and none the worse for that. The answer is that as
an ex-King’s Singer himself Chilcott has arranged it for the
close harmony line-up; the Rutter version is far finer. Juxtaposed
as that is against the second of the original Rutter compositions
– his early Star Carol – which epitomises why the young
Rutter’s compositions made such an impact; it’s melodically
catchy and appealing, full of a touching emotional naivety and
exceptionally well-crafted. Against it the other original Rutter
composition, the eponymous Colours of Christmas – while
retaining the craft – sounds rather formulaic and indeed bland.
This especially when contrasted with the big set-piece carols.
It might have taken a composer, two arrangers and an orchestrator
but the version of Once in Royal David’s City encapsulates
what most people will be seeking when buying this kind of large-scale
full orchestra medley of popular carols. James O’Donnell’s arrangement
of the final verse is gloriously heraldic and grandly topped
off by Rutter’s sure orchestration featuring the over-dubbed
Albert Hall organ. I did do a little double-take reading the
name of John Birch as organist. He was the doyen of so many
classic Decca discs of many years ago following on from his
hugely successful stint as choirmaster of Chichester Cathedral.
A quick check would seem to imply he was 82 when this disc was
made – a cause for celebration by all and proof of the adage
that old organists never die because they won’t go voluntary-ly
- a bad gag worthy of a Christmas cracker if ever there was.
Other ‘standards’ – O come all ye faithful, and Hark!
The herald angels sing to name but two - are equally successful.
Indeed, the programme is generally well planned, being essentially
popular but with a good range of moods and styles from simple
unaccompanied to grandiose. The Sweelinck Hodie, Christus
natus est is interesting but the choir and brass group do
not seem quite sure if they are meant to employ period performance
style or not so the result is strangely faceless.
Rutter has a history of arranging ‘pops’ – his Beatles Concerto
being a case in point. However, I would happily never hear
his version of The Christmas Song ever again (it’s the
one that goes “chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”) – its irredeemably
twee and about as welcome as a pair of patterned socks. The
‘English’ sound of the Bach Choir works against the piece no
matter how well – on one level – it is sung. If The Christmas
Song started the toe-curling process, Over the Bridge’s
dreadful Have yourself a merry little Christmas ensured
that all the toes were neatly tied up in cringing bows. How
anyone listening to this aberrant offspring of classical and
pops can think that the result is anything but abject and misbegotten
escapes me. Right down to the mannered pronunciation of “liddle’
Christmas – its American geddit! At least it allowed me to get
my annual “Pah, Humbug” out of the way good and early. Likewise,
why it was deemed sensible to drop a Leroy Anderson Sleigh
Ride in the midst of all this I have no idea. Great piece,
well performed in a rather anonymous, staid and unremarkable
way - not a patch on Anderson’s own justly famous – Decca also
– recording - but totally out of context here. You can always
programme out these tracks and since things don’t start going
badly wrong until track 18 the stop-button can beckon although
that would mean missing out on Rutter’s skilfully illustrative
take of Twelve days of Christmas and a final and uplifting
Hark the Herald Angels in the classic Willcocks arrangement
with an added – not hugely impressive – Rutter opening fanfare.
Down to some more mundane details; the liner includes all texts
as sung which means mainly in English with a couple where the
English translation is added alongside original texts. Other
than that and general biographies and ensemble information,
Rutter contributes a very brief note. Nothing like as informative
or interesting as the typically high quality liner provided
for the Hyperion disc. All the performers are very fine when
doing what they do best – I am sure others will find the style
of certain tracks less infuriating than I do. Engineering is
very good although the extra resonance of the Albert Hall does
mean that the organ’s contribution audibly decays more slowly
than the orchestral group. As a passing thought I do find it
rather depressing that a company like Decca has gone from being
repertoire-driven with a release schedule matching the finest
of any in the industry to one that relies on passing fashion
or nominal celebrity for its current forays into the world of
classical music. Much of this disc is very good and enjoyable
although I am not sure that any of it supplants performances
already in my collection.
Nick Barnard
Track-List
Ding Dong! Merrily on high – trad. arr. Stuart Nicholson orch. John Rutter [2:44]
The Colours of Christmas – John Rutter [2:51]
In Dulci Jubilo* – German trad. arr. R.L. Pearsall [3:06]
What is this lovely fragrance? – French trad. arr. Healey Willan [3:17]
Away in a manger* – W.J Kirkpatrick arr. John Rutter [1:59]
Hodie Christus natus est – J.P. Sweelinck ed. David Hill [2:58]
Riu, Riu, Riu‡ – 16th Spanish villancico ed. & arr. The King’s Singers [1:21]
I wonder as I wander‡ – Appalachian trad. carol arr. Bob Chilcott [3:32]
Star Carol – John Rutter [2:50]
Once in Royal David’s City – H.J. Gauntlett arr. A.H. Mann & James O’Donnell orch. John Rutter [4:01]
Silent Night – F.X. Gruber arr. John Rutter [3:34]
In the bleak mid-winter – Harold Darke orch. John Rutter [4:08]
Gabriel’s Message* – Basque trad. arr. Edgar Pettman [2:26]
O come, all ye faithful – J.F Wade arr. David Willcocks with opening fanfare by John Rutter [4:10]
O Holy Night – Adolphe Adam arr. John Rutter [5:57]
A New Year Carol – Benjamin Britten [2:05]
Joy to the World – Lowell Mason arr. John Rutter [2:30]
Sleigh Ride** – Leroy Anderson [3:06]
Deck the hall* – Welsh trad. arr. John Rutter [1:38]
The Christmas Song – Mel Tormé arr. John Rutter [3:22]
The Twelve Days of Christmas – English trad. arr. John Rutter [3:19]
Have yourself a merry little Christmas‡ – Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane arr. Peter Knight [2:56]
Hark! The herald angels sing – Felix Mendelssohn arr. & with closing fanfare by David Willcocks, opening fanfare by John Rutter [4:07]
* - The Bach Choir unaccompanied
** - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
‡ - Over the Bridge with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
All other tracks the Bach Choir accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Bach Choir, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Birch (organ),
Over the Bridge, conductor John Rutter 
