JOHN RUTTER
ANNOUNCES
‘THE PIANO COLLECTION’
HIS FIRST EVER SOLO PIANO ALBUM
FEATURING ‘THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU’,
‘A GAELIC BLESSING’, ‘BE THOU MY VISION’ & MORE
PLAY ALONG AT HOME WITH COMPANION SHEET MUSIC COLLECTION
ALBUM RELEASED DIGITALLY ON DECCA RECORDS ON 31ST JULY 2020
‘THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU’ IS OUT NOW
For the very first time, John Rutter CBE has arranged eight of his best-loved choral works for solo piano, in a new collection released on Decca Records across digital platforms on 31st July 2020.
This period of lockdown inspired John to return to some of his most cherished works and re-score them for his fans and supporters, who can now enjoy the familiar sacred melodies in their own homes. To record the new transcriptions, John approached his friend, pianist Wayne Marshall, who recorded the music alone at a studio in Malta during the COVID-19 pandemic, communicating with John over phone and email as the album came together.
John says, “Every so often someone or other asks me the same question: ‘John, could you do solo piano versions of some of your choral pieces, so I can play them at home?’ Well, I’ve finally done it. I chose eight pieces—six of them restful and meditative, two of them lively. I knew immediately who I wanted to record them: my old friend and colleague Wayne Marshall. With some trepidation I emailed him and was immensely happy when the answer came back from his home in Malta: ‘honoured to play your new transcriptions’.”
Piano enthusiasts can now learn the pieces at home, with sheet music available to pre-order on the Oxford University Press platform. Designed for pianists at early intermediate level, the collection provides skilful and approachable arrangements of John Rutter’s choral classics. Clearly presented and laid out, the transcriptions also include the texts within the piano score, for reference and sing-alongs. The digital sheet music can be downloaded from the selected retailers found here.