The Scottish composer James MacMillan has established a reputation for music that is firmly rooted in Catholic religious tradition; he writes in an idiom that has a particular appeal in an age that searches for the security and challenge of faith.

Music
MacMillan has written operas as well as ballet, orchestral, music theatre and choral works. His style has been established as basically melodic, yet still totally modern, and, above all, written in a very personal style that is listener-friendly. His Veni, Veni, Emmanuel is based on the Advent plainchant of the title and seeks at the same time to explore the meaning of Advent and the coming of Christ. Tryst is based on an earlier setting by the composer of a Scots poem by William Soutar.