John Rutter – what a remarkable man. While renowned as the world’s most performed living choral composer, with a massive workload of new compositions and arrangements in the pipeline, he made the time and effort to lead a magnificent Singing Day in Bude last Saturday 15 October. Bude Choral Society feel immensely privileged to have hosted such an event. Dr Rutter arrived in Bude at 11:00pm on the previous day, then led the full day workshop before driving back home to Cambridge immediately afterwards.

Rutter’s current commitments include two more Singing Days in Edinburgh and London; new compositions and arrangements for two Christmas concerts in London’s Albert Hall, a conducting engagement in Carnegie Hall, New York and then a concert in Finland.

The Bude Singing Day was a truly inspirational event, held in the Central Methodist Church, with the aim of promoting and encouraging choral singing. It was attended by over 300 singers, mainly from Cornwall and Devon but with some travelling from East Anglia, Sussex, Monmouth and Dorset to take part.

Most of those attending were experienced singers from church choirs, singing groups and choral societies, but John Rutter’s enthusiasm and expertise brought out the best of roof-raising and spine-tingling choruses. One such work was Sing! – a vocal arrangement of praise by David Willcocks sung in four parts to the accompaniment of Widor’s organ Toccata – an amazing and powerful sound. David Robinson, a retired professor of music from the Royal Academy now living near Holsworthy, demonstrated his mastery of both piano and organ keyboards, adding a significant professional dimension to the day.

Other works featured included Rutter’s own arrangement of Amazing Grace, performed to an impressive near-concert standard after a couple of run-throughs, revealing the deep feeling of John Newton’s conversion to Christianity, later reinforced by several items with powerful messages from John Rutter’s own Anthem Book.

The singers also dipped into compilations such as European Sacred Music and In the Mood as well as two works by John Rutter that will be on the programme in Bude Choral Society’s Spring Concert on 18 March 2006. They are Feel the Spirit – his arrangement of seven spirituals – and Mass of the Children, which will involve the choir from Shebbear College. A concert to which all Rutter fans will look forward. The scores for the Singing Day were provided by Oxford University Press and Collegium Publications – and many copies were purchased and personally signed by John Rutter.

John Gimson, Chairman of Bude Choral Society, in his thank-you comments to John Rutter, presented him with an original watercolour of Bude's Compass Point and beach by local artist Harry McConville, together with a bottle of single malt whisky. He said "We know just how busy you are with your composing, conducting and arranging, but we hope that when you find time to relax, you will enjoy a drink and use the picture as a reminder of the immense pleasure you gave to those who attended today's Singing Day. It was for us all a most stimulating day."

Earlier, John Rutter had asked everybody to do what they could to influence those in government to ensure that choral singing and music was properly re-established within schools; there is a generation who have missed such an opportunity. Reaction to the suggestion was much along the lines of improving music education in schools in the same way as Jamie Oliver had campaigned for better school meals.

If there are readers who would be interested in getting involved in choral singing, there is bound to be a nearby choir or singing group that would help. For those in the Bude area, contact John Gimson on 01288 350000 or via e-mail at info@budechoral.org.uk

Bude Choral Society’s next concert is on Saturday 26 November in the Bude Central Methodist Church where they will be performing Vivaldi’s Gloria and Donizetti’s Messa di Requiem – a work not often performed anywhere let alone in N Cornwall (due mainly to the difficulty of obtaining copies of the music) yet it is a wonderful piece of music that will become well established as more people hear it.