for SATB unaccompanied This lively and uplifting carol sets a joyful fifteenth-century Christmas text by James Ryman. The music is rhythmic and powerful, with moments of rich and vibrant harmony offset by the strong, fanfare-like Latin refrain. The King of Blis is guaranteed to prove a popular choice with choirs and audiences.
John Rutter (b.1945)
"Rutter is in spikier mode than in Carol of the Magi. Indeed, in some respects, The King of Blis is akin to carols such as Walton's Make we joy now in this fest, but more complex, having different music for some of the stanzas, and the music of the refrain is not always the same. The rhythms bounce along with frequent changes of time signature and the harmonies are spiced with added notes. There are fine compositional touches: neat imitation, motivic inversion and superimposition of 5/8 and 6/8 time. Those who find some of Rutter's output a little too sugary will find much to delight them in this piquant piece." - Christopher Maxim, Sunday by Sunday, December 2012
