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"Look at the world"
Harvest anthem by John Rutter
Textby John Rutter
LanguageEnglish
Composed1996 (1996)
Published1996 (1996)
Duration4.5 minutes
ScoringMixed-voice or children's choir with keyboard or orchestra

"Look at the world" is a sacred choral composition by John Rutter, a harvest anthem to his own words. He offered versions for children's choir in unison or a mixed-voice choir, with keyboard or orchestra. It was commissioned by the Council for the Protection of Rural England. The work was published by Oxford University Press in 1996.

History

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Rutter set "Look at the world" as a harvest anthem[1] to his own lyrics[2] in 1996.[3] He responded to a commission from the Council for the Protection of Rural England, meant to be "a widely-usable choral song or anthem on the theme of the environment and our responsibility towards it".[4] It was meant to celebrate the organisation's 70th anniversary.[5] He scored it for either a children's choir in unison or a four-part mixed choir, accompanied by a keyboard instrument or orchestra.[1] The anthem was published by Oxford University Press in 1996.[1][6] In 2021, a version for a small ensemble of flute, oboe, harp and organ appeared.[7]

Music

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The anthem is in set in 2/2, marked "Brightly" It begins in C major, but modulates twice and ends in D major.[8] It begins with eight measures of instrumental introduction, with broken chords in constant flowing eighth-notes.[8] It is in four stanzas and a refrain, beginning "Praise to thee, O Lord of all creation". In the mixed-voice version, only the refrain is in harmony for all four voices, while the stanzas are assigned to varying voices. The third stanza is in B major, and the final stanza in D major.[8] The duration is given as 4.5 minutes.[1]

Recordings

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The anthem was recorded for a 2003 collection of Rutter's Mass of the Children and other sacred music, by the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia conducted by the composer.[5] It was recorded for a 2010 collection, A Song in Season of works by Rutter composed since 1996 and mostly not previously recorded, with the composer conducting the Cambridge Singers and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.[9] A reviewer from Gramophone described it as "overtly innocent".[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "John Rutter / Look at the world". Oxford University Press. 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  2. ^ "John Rutter / Look at the world". musikguru.de. 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  3. ^ "John Milford Rutter CBE". Diocese of Cologne (in German). 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  4. ^ Ritter, John (2010). "A Song in Season" (PDF). johnrutter.com. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Mass of the Children & other sacred music". Hyperion Records. 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  6. ^ "John Rutter / Look at the world". prestomusic.com. 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ^ John Rutter / Look at the world. Oxford University Press. 2022. ISBN 978-0-19-354065-1. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b c John Rutter / Look at the world. Oxford University Press. 1996.
  9. ^ a b Riley, Malcolm (December 2010). "Rutter (A) Song in Season". Gramophone. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
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