From the Organist & Choirmaster

This Sunday, during the Offertory, the parish choir will sing “This is the Day,” a luminous anthem composed by the celebrated British composer John Rutter. As the offering is brought forward, a moment in the Mass rich with thanksgiving and dedication, this piece invites us to rejoice in the gift each day God gives us and to offer ourselves anew in joyful praise.

John Rutter, born in 1945, in one of the most beloved composers of contemporary sacred choral music. HIs works are distinguished by their melodic warmth, accessibility, and profound spiritual depth, making them a staple in churches around the world. Trained at Cambridge University, Rutter has dedicated much of his life to composing and conducting music that uplifts both choir and congregation., HIs style blends a reverence for traditional hymnody and liturgical chant with a fresh, approachable musical language that speaks directly to the heart.

“This is the Day” was composed in 2011 for the wedding of Prince William and (now) Princess Catherine Middleton, a royal celebration watched by millions worldwide. The text is taken from various psalms including 118, 148, 91, 121, and 27. All the verses together remind us to recognize and celebrate the sacredness of the present moment, a fundamental theme in our Anglo-Catholic spirituality, which embraces both the eternal and incarnation. Rutter’s anthem captures the exultant joy of the psalms with bright soaring melodies, chant like sections, and plainsong solos. These characters, all staples of Anglican worship, shape the piece into an especially moving anthem. As the gifts of bread and wine, and ourselves are presented before God, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty over time and creation, giving thanks for the day itself as a sacred gift.