This beguiling SATB carol was written  written by John Rutter when he was in his teens as long ago as 1963, the same year that, as a pupil at Highgate School in London, he participated in the boys’ choir in the renowned recording of Britten’s War Requiem which Britten himself conducted. It was also the same year that he gained a place to read music at Clare College, Cambridge.

I should say that, whilst I could not claim such amazing experiences as this, I could identify with the importance of music within his school’s ethos as that at my own school (Mary Datchelor Girls School) matched that experienced by Rutter at Highgate.

In Nativity Carol, Rutter’s gift for melody and mature style were already apparent. The carol was first published by OUP in 1967 for SATB with organ accompaniment but has since been arranged by the composer himself for SSA and unison voices, not to mention piano solo on which this version is based. The carol has even been published in a version for brass band. As in ‘What Sweeter Music’, the accompaniment can also be on piano or strings.

It is worth noting that Rutter calls for freedom in the playing of this; the score is marked with many tempo changes and Rutter’s own performances have pauses and the like to highlight particular words in the text.