Quittez, pasteurs (arr. John Rutter)

Quittez, pasteurs,
Vos brebis, vos houlettes,
Votre hameau
Et le soin du troupeau;
Changez vos pleurs
En une joie parfaite,
Allez tous adorer
Un Dieu, un Dieu, un Dieu qui vient vous consoler;
Un Dieu, un Dieu, un Dieu qui vient vous consoler.

Vous le verrez
Couché dans une étable,
Comme un enfant
Nu, pauvre languissant;
Reconnaissez
Son amour ineffable
Pour nous venir chercher.
Il est, il est, il est le fidèle berger;
Il est, il est, il est le fidèle berger.

Rois d'Orient
L'étoile vous éclaire;
A ce grand roi
Rendez hommage et foi.
L'astre brillant
Vous mène à la lumière
De ce soleil naissant.
Offrez, offrez, offrez l'or, la myrrhe et l'encens;
Offrez, offrez, offrez l'or, la myrrhe et l'encens.

Esprit divin
À qui tout est possible,
Percez nos coeurs
De vos douces ardeurs;
Notre destin
Par vous devient paisible;
Dieu prétend nous donner
Le ciel, le ciel, le ciel en venant s'incarner;
Le ciel, le ciel, le ciel en venant s'incarner.

Traditional French Carol, arr. John Rutter

What Sweeter Music (Rutter)

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heav’nly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!
Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honour to this day
That sees December turn’d to May.

Why does the chilling winter’s morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like a meadow newly shorn
Thus on the sudden? Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:
‘Tis he is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and lustre, public mirth,
To heaven and the under earth.

We see him come, and know him ours,
Who, with his sunshine and his show’rs
Turns all the patient ground to flowers,
The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome him. The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart,
Which we will give him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do him honour, who’s our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?

This carol was commissioned by King's College, Cambridge for Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1987.

Text: R. Herrick
Music: John Rutter (1987)

All Bells in Paradise (John Rutter)

.
Deep in the cold of winter,
Darkness and silence were everywhere;
Softly and clearly, there came through the stillness
a wonderful sound to hear:
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Sounding in majesty the news that they bring;
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Welcoming our Saviour, born on earth a heavenly King.

All bells in paradise I heard them ring:
‘Glory to God on high’ the angel voices sing.

Lost in awe and wonder,
Doubting I asked what this sign might be:
Christ our Messiah revealed in a stable,
A marvellous sight to see.
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Sounding in majesty the news that they bring;
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Welcoming our Saviour, born on earth a heavenly King.

He comes down in peace, a child in humility,
The keys to his kingdom belong to the poor;
Before him shall kneel the kings with their treasures,
gold incense and myrrh.
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Sounding in majesty the news that they bring;
All bells in paradise I heard them ring,
Welcoming our Saviour, born on earth a heavenly King.

All bells in paradise I heard them ring:
‘Glory to God on high’ the angel voices sweetly sing.

This carol was commissioned for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge's 2012 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. It is also featured in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge's recent CD release: Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols


Words and Music: John Rutter (2012)

For the Beauty of the Earth (John Rutter)

See also: the original hymn version

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,

Refrain:

Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light (Refrain)

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and brain's delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight (Refrain)

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild (Refrain)

For each perfect gift of thine
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven (Refrain)

See also: the original hymn version

Words: Folliot Sandford Pierpoint, 1864
Music: John Rutter

The Lord Bless You And Keep You (Rutter)

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious unto you

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious unto you

The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
And give you peace, and give you peace
And give you peace, and give you peace

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Composer: John Rutter

All Things Bright and Beautiful (Rutter)

See also: All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn, tune: ROYAL OAK)

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the weather,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden -
He made them every one.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

See also: All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn, tune: ROYAL OAK)

Setting: John Rutter

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace (Rutter)

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me bring love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Composer: John Rutter

This is the Day (John Rutter)

This anthem was specially commisioned for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine "Kate" Middleton by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey.

The words consist of verses from Psalms 118:24; 148:1-3, 5a; 91:4a, 11; 121:5-8 and 27:16b.

This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.
O praise the Lord of heav’n: praise him in the height.
Praise him, all ye angels of his: praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways.
The Lord himself is thy keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
so that the sun shall not burn thee by day: neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in: from this time forth for evermore.
He shall defend thee under his wings.
Be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and put thou thy trust in the Lord.

Composer: John Rutter (2011)

Nativity Carol (Rutter)

1. Born in a stable so bare,
Born so long ago;
Born neath light of star
He who loved us so.
Far away, silent He lay,
Born today, your homage pay,
Christ is born for aye,
Born on Christmas Day.

2. Cradled by mother so fair,
Tender her lullaby;
Over her son so dear
Angel hosts fill the sky.
Far away, silent He lay,
Born today, your homage pay,
Christ is born for aye,
Born on Christmas Day.

3. Wise men from distant far land,
Shepherds from starry hills
Worship this babe so rare,
Hearts with His warmth He fills.
Far away, silent He lay,
Born today, your homage pay,
Christ is born for aye,
Born on Christmas Day.

4. Love in that stable was born
Into our hearts to flow;
Innocent dreaming babe,
Make me Thy love to know.
Far away, silent he lay,
Born today, your homage pay,
Christ is born for aye,
Born on Christmas Day.

Composer: John Rutter (b. 1945)