John Rutter's 80th Birthday Celebration

Wednesday 5th November 2025

 

John Rutter's 80th Birthday Celebration

St Paul's Cathedral, London

 

Join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at St Paul’s Cathedral for a concert celebrating the 80th birthday of John, conducted by the man himself.

Be one of the first to hear the world premiere of a new piece specially composed by John for the occasion, before a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.5. Only two years older than the evening’s conductor, it is a piece that manifests a vision of peace and tranquillity amid times of war; its heart-piercing Romanza will make you feel as though time itself has stopped.

The celebration’s centrepiece will be The Gift of Life, a work that the composer set out to write as a counterpoint to his earlier Requiem – a celebration of creation and life itself in all its majesty and manifold beauty. The six-movement piece, set to a blend of liturgical passages, poetry and original text, bursts with unabashed jubilation. Its central movement, the Hymn to the Creator of Light for double choir, is an intricate layering of voices and instruments that envelopes the listener in an array of radiant colours.

 

Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral, London

Show Time: 7.30pm

Seats: Front Nave, Rows D, E, F, G, H, J and K

Excursion Price: £89.50 (Inc Coach Travel & Show Ticket)

 

Depart Henley: 2.00pm Arrive London: 5.30pm Return Henley: 12:30am Thursday 6th (Approx)