Be Thou My Vision: Sacred Music by John Rutter

Anglican liturgy refers to the body of musical and textual worship practices associated with the Church of England and, by extension, the global Anglican Communion. Its musical language ranges from plainsong-like recitation (for psalms and prayers) to elaborate choral polyphony and organ-accompanied hymnody. Core forms include the Preces and Responses, settings of the canticles (Magnificat/Nunc dimittis; Te Deum/Jubilate), anthems, service settings for Holy Communion, and congregational hymns. The defining aesthetic combines English-language scriptural and prayer-book texts with a cathedral-choir sound—traditionally trebles and lower voices or mixed SATB—prioritizing clarity of text, balanced sonority, modal/diatonic harmony, and dignified, prayerful pacing.