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The Music of John Rutter

 

            The pieces discussed today are all by composer, John Rutter. John Rutter is known for his carol pieces, and he has nothing wrong with that. From pieces like "Ding Dong" to "Kyrie", to "Gloria", all of Rutters' pieces are critically acclaimed by countries all over the world, because of his sacred choral repertoires. In the piece, "Kyrie" a very soothing lagoto is present with both the altos and the sopranos in the chorus of the melody. While "Ding Dong" seemed to be focused more on the bass section, "Kyrie" seems to express a more distinct sound from the tenor section, although the bass is obviously still present. In both pieces, the diction of each phrase is shown to be massively present, like most carols are. Throughout all of "Kyrie" the alto's have a couple moments of pure harmony, while some are in unison, while in "Ding Dong", the song is sung purely in unison. The addition of harmony is not suited for a song like "Ding Dong".
             Compared to "Ding Dong", "Gloria" is a piece written in Latin, a much harder language to sing, let alone speak. The pronunciation or diction of the piece is something that definitely requires a good amount of time and work needed to be put in, so that the complex language that is Latin, and its accented words can be sung properly, and clearly so that the audience can interpret what is being sung. A similarity between the two, is that they are both religious pieces. As "Ding Dong" refers to the birth of Christ, "Gloria" refers to thanking him. In both songs, the presence of mezzoforte notes is displayed throughout the whole piece. Every other measure, each vocal section transitions from a mezzoforte to a forte, giving the piece a very distinct voice as if we are "singing angels". Instrumentals prove to be a major factor of the piece "Gloria" as sections of their own are dedicated to instruments from the Woodwind Family.


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