What sweeter music

John Rutter’s "What sweeter music" is a gentle, breathtaking anthem that has become a staple for choirs during the Christmas season. Setting the words of the seventeenth-century poet Robert Herrick, the piece asks a simple question: what better gift could we possibly bring to the newborn King than a carol? The music perfectly captures the hush of a cold winter night, warming from the inside out as it describes Christ’s birth turning "December turn'd to May."

For a choir, this piece is an exercise in tenderness and control. The flowing organ accompaniment sets a peaceful, walking pace, while the vocal lines demand smooth, connected phrasing. We see the melody pass beautifully between the sections—starting with the sopranos, moving to the tenors and basses who call us to "awake the voice," and finally building to a full, joyous harmony as we prepare a room in our hearts for the "darling of the world."

It is a wonderful choice for a Christmas concert or as a meditation before Midnight Mass. Singing it feels like offering a quiet, fragrant gift at the manger. The final pages, where the choir returns to the opening question before fading into a hushed, reverent ending, always leave the congregation in a state of quiet awe.