A Clare Benediction

A Clare Benediction is an anthem by John Rutter, beginning May the Lord show his mercy upon you. Rutter wrote both text and music of the composition to honour Clare College, Cambridge, where he had studied. The work was published by Oxford University Press.

A Clare Benediction
Anthem by John Rutter
Published1998 (1998)
ScoringSATB choir and organ or orchestra

History, text and music

Rutter, who has had a long association with Clare College, Cambridge, having read music there in the 1960s and then returning as director of the chapel choir from 1975 to 1979, composed the anthem in 1998 in honour of his Alma mater, setting his own words.[1][2] It is one of several choral benedictions, always for persons or institutions with special significance to the composer.[1] Rutter's text, beginning "May the Lord show his mercy upon you", is a prayer for protection and guidance, when sleeping or awake, in life and after. The rhymed poem is in four stanzas of four lines each.[3] Two verses are sung by the high voices, followed by two sung by the low voices, alternating. The harmony is in tonality, with chromaticism used to intensify the words "May his spirit be ever by your side", a verse sung by all voices.[4]

A Clare Benediction was published by Oxford University Press in 1998, in versions for different voices and keyboard or orchestra.[5] It was included in an ecumenical collection of sacred music for occasions, Musik für Kasualien, by Carus-Verlag. With a German translation, it appears in the first and general section of volume 5, music for choir and organ.[6]

Recordings

A Clare Benediction was recorded in 2002, together with Rutter's Requiem, other anthems and organ music, by the Choir of Clare College, with organist Nicholas Rimmer and conducted by Timothy Brown.[2] It appears on a 2003 collection of Rutter's sacred music including the Mass of the Children, performed by the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by the composer.[7]

In June 2020 a performance entitled A Virtual Clare Benediction, made up of individual performances by over 200 alumni of Clare College, was released on YouTube to commemorate the 2020 graduation ceremony which could not take place due to lock down restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

References
  1. Rutter, John. "John Rutter (b. 1945) / Requiem". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  2. Quinn, John (May 2003). "John Rutter (b. 1945) / Requiem". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. "John Rutter feat. The Cambridge Singers - A Clare Benediction Lyrics". songlyrics.com. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  4. Dickey, Timothy. "John Rutter / A Clare Benediction, for chorus". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. "John Rutter / A Clare Benediction". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  6. Musik für Kasualien / Heft 5 / Geistliche Musik für Chor und Orgel (PDF) (in German). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  7. Manheim, James. "Cambridge Singers / Rutter: Mass of the Children". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
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