All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration Choir of Kings College, Cambridge, Britten Sinfonia & Daniel Hyde

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847): Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Arr. Sir David Willcocks):
• 1 Mendelssohn: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Arr. Sir David Willcocks) 04:22
• Philip Ledger (1937 - 2012): A Spotless Rose:
• 2 Ledger: A Spotless Rose 02:02
• John Rutter (b. 1945): All Bells in Paradise:
• 3 Rutter: All Bells in Paradise 05:08
• Traditional: Sussex Carol (Arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Orch. Daniel Hyde):
• 4 Traditional: Sussex Carol (Arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Orch. Daniel Hyde) 02:19
• Adolphe Adam (1803 - 1856): O Holy Night (Arr. Sir John Rutter):
• 5 Adam: O Holy Night (Arr. Sir John Rutter) 06:02
• Henry Walford Davies (1869 - 1941): O Little Town of Bethlehem (Orch. Sir Stephen Cleobury and Daniel Hyde):
• 6 Davies: O Little Town of Bethlehem (Orch. Sir Stephen Cleobury and Daniel Hyde) 04:58
• John Rutter: Five Meditations for Orchestra:
• 7 Rutter: Five Meditations for Orchestra: III. Candlelight 04:19
• Traditional: Sans Day Carol (Arr. Sir John Rutter):
• 8 Traditional: Sans Day Carol (Arr. Sir John Rutter) 03:16
• Anonymous: Unto Us is Born a Son (Arr. Sir David Willcocks):
• 9 Anonymous: Unto Us is Born a Son (Arr. Sir David Willcocks) 02:21
• John Rutter: Five Meditations for Orchestra:
• 10 Rutter: Five Meditations for Orchestra: I. What Sweeter Music 04:23
• Traditional: Hereford Carol (Arr. Christopher Robinson, Orch. Sir John Rutter):
• 11 Traditional: Hereford Carol (Arr. Christopher Robinson, Orch. Sir John Rutter) 03:12
• Child in a Manger (Arr. Sir John Rutter):
• 12 Traditional: Child in a Manger (Arr. Sir John Rutter) 02:34
• John Rutter: Dormi, Jesu:
• 13 Rutter: Dormi, Jesu 05:09
• Nativity Carol:
• 14 Rutter: Nativity Carol 04:32
• All the Stars Looked Down:
• 15 Rutter: All the Stars Looked Down 03:47
• Franz Xaver Gruber (1787 - 1863): Silent Night (Arr. Sir John Rutter):
• 16 Gruber: Silent Night (Arr. Sir John Rutter) 04:01
• Traditional: Away in a Manger (Arr. David Hill):
• 17 Traditional: Away in a Manger (Arr. David Hill) 03:03
• John Francis Wade (ca. 1711 - 1786): O Come, All Ye Faithful (Arr. Sir David Willcocks):
• 18 Wade: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Arr. Sir David Willcocks) 05:05
• Total Runtime 01:10:33

Info for All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration

Recorded in the beloved Chapel of King’s College Cambridge, this album includes beautiful orchestral arrangements of Christmas carols by Sir John Rutter alongside a selection of carols by the great choral composers who have influenced him. Woven throughout the album are works that are especially meaningful to the choir and the album’s title track, Rutter’s All the stars looked down, is dedicated to the memory of Sir Stephen Cleobury.

Sir John Rutter’s association with King’s College stretches back to the time when he was a student at Clare College, and when Sir David Willcocks was Director of Music next door at King’s. It took no time at all for David to recognise the talents of his young student, and so it was that he invited John to collaborate with him on his second volume of Carols for Choirs, published by OUP and affectionately known the world over as ‘the orange book’. So began a long and fruitful relationship between John and King’s College, continuing beyond David’s departure from King’s in 1974 to take of the role of Director of the Royal College of Music, and thriving during the tenures of Sir Philip Ledger and Sir Stephen Cleobury, and to the present day under Daniel Hyde.

The music on this album is chosen to reflect the extraordinary talents and the effortless musical modesty of John Rutter in this his 80th birthday year. John writes about his own works below, and those tracks not written by him have been chosen given their very close connections with John through a variety of Cambridge Colleges and The Bach Choir. As an early mentor to John, David Willcocks is heard here in three of his best known congregational carol arrangements; usually sung each year by over a thousand people packed into the chapel at the Christmas Eve Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, they are heard here in their arrangements for choir with brass and organ. Hark! the herald angels sing and O come, all ye faithful are probably the two best-known descants by David, the latter thrilling audiences world-wide with the glorious ‘Sing choirs of angels’ and *that* chord in the final verse for ‘Word of the Father’; lesser-known but equally captivating is the arrangement of Unto us is born a son, especially with the caustic harmonies in verse three signalling King Herod’s rage and fury.

Choir of King's College Cambridge
Britten Sinfonia
Daniel Hyde, conductor

Daniel Hyde
took up the prestigious post of Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge in October 2019. As part of this role Daniel is responsible for nurturing and inspiring the choristers and scholars of the Choir of King’s College, one of the world’s most renowned choral foundations. ​

Born in the UK, schooled as a chorister at Durham Cathedral, he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists at the age of 17 and won the organ scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge, later taking up the position of Director of Music at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 2009, he became Informator Choristarum at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was also an Associate Professor. In 2016 Daniel moved to the USA where he became Organist and Director of Music at Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City.

As a choral and orchestral conductor, Daniel has worked with many leading ensembles including the BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra, the London Bach Choir, Britten Sinfonia, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Orchestra of St Luke’s and New York Baroque Incorporated.

Daniel’s broad-ranging discography can be found on the Opus Arte, Linn, Naxos and EMI and Priory labels, with recent and future releases planned for the King’s College label.

A phenomenal organist, Daniel has performed throughout the world giving recitals. He has appeared at the BBC Proms on numerous occasions. He made his solo debut there in 2010, performing Bach’s Canonic Variations at the organ of the Royal Albert Hall and more recently performing Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ at the First Night of the BBC Proms in 2021 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

As an ensemble player he has appeared with Phantasm, the Britten Sinfonia, The Tallis Scholars, Aurora Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, amongst others. ​

Booklet for All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration