John Rutter: Gloria - 1. Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Polyphony, The Wallace Collection , the City of London Sinfonia; Andrew Lumsden, organ; Stephen Layton conducting
...something I'd sung in college...a real goosebump song. As I was looking for it I came across some John Rutter trivia. I was sort of bummed to read the following.
"Despite composing and conducting much religious music, Rutter told the US television program 60 Minutes in 2003 that he was not particularly a religious man, but he is inspired by the spirituality of sacred verses and prayers."
I was further bummed by this because I had recently come across his Te Deum...a little Latin translation for ya'll...Te Deum is the beginning of the phrase Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur, which means O God, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All Te Deum's go on to speak of God's awesomeness in all aspects. Anyone wanting to read a full Te Deum go here.
Yes, I know that he is not the first composer to say he wasn't religious, etc. but after singing several of his works I'd sort of hoped he was a professing Christian. His music is something like what I imagine heaven will sound like...and I'm hoping I can join the heavenly choir!!
I do agree with something else I read about him. He holds "singing days" and says, "It is wonderful to go to a choral concert, to hear a choir sing. But I think the deepest joy of all is to actually sing.”
Oh, and the translation for Gloria...
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory to the highest to God.
Et in terra pax And on earth peace
hominibus bonae voluntatis. to men of good will.
Laudamus te. We praise thee.
Benedicimus te. We bless thee.
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