''A Clare Benediction'' is an

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

John Rutter John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...

, beginning May the Lord show his mercy upon you. Rutter wrote both the text and music of the composition to honour

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

, where he had studied. The work was published by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

in 1998.

History, text and music

Rutter, who has had a long association with

, 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. It is one of several choral

benediction A benediction (Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the expositio ...

s, always for persons or institutions with special significance to the composer. 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 beginning is sung by the high voices, followed answered by lines sung by the low voices, alternating. The harmony is in

tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or triadic chord with the greatest stability is call ...

, with chromaticism used to intensify the words "May his spirit be ever by your side", sung by all voices. ''A Clare Benediction'' was published by

in 1998, in versions for different voices and keyboard or orchestra. It was included in an ecumenical collection of sacred music for occasions, ''Musik für Kasualien'', by

Carus-Verlag Carus-Verlag is a German music publisher founded in 1972 and based in Stuttgart. Carus was founded by choral conductor Günter Graulich and his wife Waltraud with an emphasis on choral repertoire. The catalogue currently includes more than 26,00 ...

. With a German translation, it appears in the first and general section of volume 5, music for choir and organ.

Recordings

''A Clare Benediction'' was recorded in 2002, together with Rutter's

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

, other anthems and organ music, by the Choir of Clare College, with organist Nicholas Rimmer and conducted by Timothy Brown. It appears on a 2003 collection of Rutter's sacred music including the '' Mass of the Children'', performed by the

Cambridge Singers The Cambridge Singers is an English mixed voice chamber choir formed in 1981 by their director John Rutter with the primary purpose of making recordings under their own label Collegium Records. The group initially comprised former singers from ...

and the

City of London Sinfonia City of London Sinfonia (CLS) is an English chamber orchestra based in London. CLS performs regularly across the city of London in venues from East London clubs to traditional Central London concert halls. CLS is orchestra-in-residence at Opera ...

, conducted by the composer. In June 2020, a performance entitled ''A Virtual Clare Benediction'', made up of individual performances by over 200 alumni of

Clare College Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

, wa
released on YouTube
to commemorate the 2020 Graduation Ceremony which was postponed due to lockdown restrictions. ''A Clare Benediction'' was later performed by the Choir of Clare College for these graduands during their Graduation Chapel Service in April 2022.

References

External links

lieder.net {{italic title Compositions by John Rutter 1998 compositions Choral compositions