One of Britain's best known composers and conductors of choral music has directed a day of music making for singers of all ages and voices as part of Anglia Ruskin University's 150th year anniversary celebrations. Over 300 choral singers came to Chelmsford Cathedral for the event.

John Rutter, an Honorary Graduate of Anglia Ruskin University, donated his time to run a 'Come and Sing' day in aid of Anglia Ruskin University's Music Therapy Appeal.

The pieces used in the workshop included John Rutter's Mass of the Children and Feel the Spirit along with some other well-known songs and some festive numbers. Peter Nardone, the Cathedral's Director of Music, accompanied John on the piano for the day.

John Rutter has guest conducted and lectured at many concert halls, universities, churches, music festivals and conferences worldwide and regularly holds choral workshops throughout Britain.

The event raised around £2,700 for our Music Therapy Appeal.

John has guest conducted and lectured at many concert halls, universities, churches, music festivals and conferences in music, Scandinavia, North America and Australasia, and regularly holds choral workshops throughout Britain.

John Rutter's works, such as Requiem (1985), Magnificat (1990), and Psalmfest (1993), have been performed many times in Britain and in many countries around the world. He co-edited, with David Wilcocks, the four volume Carols for Choirs Series, and more recently has edited the first two volumes in the New Oxford Choral Classic Series, Opera Choruses (1995) and European, Sacred Music (1996).

An established Allied Health Profession, Music Therapy is a form of treatment in which live, mainly improvised music is used to help people work towards achieving therapeutic aims, and can help people suffering from a range of conditions including autism, learning difficulties, dementia, physical disability, schizophrenia and depression.

The Music Therapy Clinic was established on the Cambridge Campus in 2005 as a result of fundraising for the Appeal and is used both to treat those in need, and to train the growing number of Music Therapy students. The course is delivered at Anglia Ruskin University within the Department of Music & Performing Arts.