Just days before his 80th birthday, legendary composer Sir John Rutter joins Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes for a special lunchtime event reflecting on a lifetime in music. In this intimate conversation, Sir John will share personal stories, pivotal moments from his remarkable career, and the music that has shaped - and been shaped by - his journey.
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St Martin’s Voices will bring these musical milestones to life, performing selections handpicked by Sir John from across the musical spectrum. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to celebrate one of the most beloved figures in contemporary choral music.
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Sir John Rutter
Zeb Soanes
St Martin’s Voices
Andrew Earis conductor​​​​​​
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Tickets £12, £15, £18
This concert lasts one hour with no interval and will be recorded for future broadcast on Classic FM.
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Performers
For over 20 years Zeb Soanes was an authoritative newsreader and reassuring voice of the Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4. He now presents Relaxing Evenings at Seven on Classic FM, the UK’s most popular classical music station and at Easter presented a special interview with Dame Judi Dench, from her home, in which she shared her favourite pieces of classical music.
Zeb presents concerts with the UK’s leading orchestras and ensembles and is the author of the bestselling Gaspard the Fox series of books, which have also been adapted as narrated concert works by Jonathan Dove. His story Gaspard’s Christmas introduces the concept of homelessness to children in a gentle way and Zeb has gifted royalties from this book in perpetuity to support the work of St Martin-in-the-Fields.
St Martin’s Voices is one of the UK’s most versatile professional vocal ensembles. They sing for concerts and broadcasts at their home in London’s iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields and beyond, and regularly perform alongside ensembles including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Piatti Quartet. They have toured to the USA and South Africa as well as undertaking extensive tours across the UK. The choir regularly features in broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 and has frequently given concerts on Classic FM alongside the broadcaster Zeb Soanes.
In 2023 they released their first album with Resonus Classics, A Winter Breviary, to critical acclaim, and their second album, featuring the choral works of American composer Ned Rorem, was released in March 2025, receiving a 5* review in BBC Music Magazine. St Martin’s Voices regularly commission and premiere new works, collaborating with composers including Bob Chilcott, Will Todd, Yshani Perinpanayagam, Rebecca Dale and Emily Hazrati. In 2023 they appointed their first Composer-in-Residence, Lucy Walker.