John Rutter: Visions & Requiem

Featuring

John Rutter
Kerson Leong
Alice Halstead
Thomas Barber
Sébastien van Kuijk
Aurora Orchestra

Temple Church Boys’ Choir
Cambridge Singers

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Recording & Production

This album features John Rutter conducting his own works, including the first recording of his recent work, Visions, and a re-recording of his 30-year-old Requiem.

Composition History

John Rutter's Requiem was not a commissioned work but was inspired by studying Fauré's Requiem and a desire to commemorate his late father.

Compositional Technique

Following the precedent of Brahms and Fauré, Rutter's Requiem is a personal selection of texts, not a complete setting of the Missa pro defunctis from Catholic liturgy.

Composition History

John Rutter wrote Visions for the Canadian violinist Kerson Leong, a young Menuhin Competition prizewinner, who also gave its first performance.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rutter describes his Requiem as intimate and contemplative, owing more to Fauré and Duruflé than to more dramatic composers like Berlioz or Verdi.

Instruments

For this recording, Kerson Leong performed on a c.1728-1730 Guarneri del Gesù violin, courtesy of Canimex Inc. of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada.

Recording & Production

The recording of Visions and Requiem required careful scheduling, as the Temple Church Boys' Choir was only available on July 16th before leaving for a tour.