Gloria

The piece unfolds in three connected movements, all setting portions of the same Latin text praising and petitioning God, "Glory to God in the highest."

I. Allegro vivace: Brass and timpani open with fanfare-like calls before the chorus enters with bold, syncopated shouts of "Gloria." The rhythm has a stamping, almost dance-like energy, and the movement builds to a big unison restatement of the opening music.

II. Andante: The mood turns inward and lyrical. Sopranos and altos sing a gentle, flowing melody over quiet organ and strings-like textures, setting words of praise and thanksgiving. The tempo relaxes throughout, ending on a hushed, suspended chord.

III. Vivace e ritmico: The fanfares return, now combined with a driving, syncopated rhythm in the choir. A broad, hymn-like melody emerges in the middle, sung slowly and expansively, before the opening material returns to close the work with the same brass fanfares and a triumphant final "Amen."

Listeners can expect clear, memorable tunes, plenty of brass color, and a sense of joyful, public celebration throughout, rather than quiet contemplation.

John Rutter composed his Gloria in 1974 on a commission from the Voices of Mel Olson chorus in Omaha, Nebraska, where it received its premiere. Rutter, an English composer and conductor known for his choral music, drew on the same Latin text used in the Mass for centuries, but shaped it into a compact, festive concert work rather than a liturgical setting. Its brass-and-percussion scoring gave it an immediate, celebratory character that made it popular with community and church choirs as well as professional ensembles. Since its premiere the piece has become one of Rutter's most frequently performed works internationally, a staple of holiday and festival choral programs across the United States and beyond.