I know a few people on here have said they're not great fans of Rutter, but for those who are (and I'm one of them) I've received an email this morning that there is to be an event called "Come and Sing" with celebrated composer John Rutter, on Satuay 6th September '08 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Withington Girls' School, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL. 

It says "Join John Rutter for a day of choral singing, including music from the new anthology 'The Oxford Book of Flexible Anthems' along with other repertoire by John Rutter.

For tickets and more information, contact ABCD North West: 0161-439-1718 or email j3llt@aol.com."

I know there are a few choir members on here so I thought I'd mention it in case anyone's interested.

OK, cards on the table time here, Mills: I find much of what he writes or arranges rather too sweet (even saccharine) for my tastes, but to me his work with his Cambridge Singers is wonderful: I have several of their recordings of music by other composers and I find them outstanding in every way, and were I nearer, I'd certainly consider going to this.

(It is not exactly unusual for a composers to be accepted as great interpreters by those who don't care for their own music, is it? Britten's Mozart, Boulez's Mahler are just two examples which spring readily to mind.)  

One of the first things I sang in as a tenor was a very enjoyalbe workshop led by Rutter on his Requiem.  I'm guessing that whilst the book that's the subject of this workshop may contain some of his own compositions, it may in some respects be more like the Oxford European Anthem book, and the later numbers in the Carols for Choirs books, edited by Rutter, but not solely his compositions by any means.