The John Rutter Christmas Piano Album

8 of his best-loved seasonal choral pieces in new transcriptions for solo piano

By John Rutter

I love Rutter's choral arrangements and so was very excited to have these books of piano solos - the Christmas album and the piano solo album. They are easy to play at an intermediate level and it's fun to play the beloved tunes. Some arrangements are better than others...

. "What Sweeter Music" disappointed me a bit because it is one arrangement I felt is written more like a condensed choral score and is awkward to play on the piano. I find myself improvising a bit here and there to smooth out the lines. A player at beginner level will have difficulty with this.

You'll enjoy the accessibility of these pieces and the simplicity of the piano reductions of the orchestral & vocal score. With proper technique and minimal improvisation, these pieces are lovely. Don't expect a Hays or Larsen arrangement.

I love all his choral music so I was very excited when the piano arrangement finally released. I was hoping to play this as the prelude to serve the church. However, the arrangement is not as elegant as the choral version. Harmony is less rich, and some interlude was cute...

off and made the piece felt hurried to end. Both of his Christmas albums have the same problem.