Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
The Magnificat (Song of Mary) and Nunc dimittis (Song of Simeon) are biblical canticles. Mary sings the Magnificat (“My soul doth magnify the Lord”) on the occasion of her visit to Elizabeth, as narrated in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39–56). Simeon sings the Nunc dimittis (“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”) when Jesus is presented in the temple (Luke 2:29–32). The canticles are part of the daily service of Evening Prayer (Evensong) in the Anglican church and have been set to music frequently in English, Latin, and other languages.
This setting was composed in 2016 for the women’s voices of St Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral of Minneapolis. It can be performed by any two-part treble ensemble, either Soprano I/II or Soprano/Alto. The two canticles can also be performed separately; the Magnificat text is appropriate for Christmas/Advent.
To see a recorded video performance by the choir of St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado click here for the Magnificat and here for the Nunc Dimittis.
The organ part has also been arranged for both piano 2- and 4-hands. Contact the composer directly at [email protected].
| Descriptive Tags: | Adoration, American, Celebratory, Jesus, Liturgical text, Prayer, Scriptural text, Virgin Mary, Worship |
| Difficulty: | Easy, Medium |
| Duration: | 5-10 Minutes |
| Instrumentation: | Organ, Piano, piano 4 hands |
| Language: | English |
| Season or Event: | Advent, Christmas, Divine Liturgy, Evensong, General, Praise to Virgin Mary |
| Voicing: | SA, SS |
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This title is available in print or for immediate download. For both options, there is a minimum required quantity of 8 copies for choral titles. Please support self-publishing composers by ordering the quantity according to the number of singers in the ensemble that will perform the work.
Print orders are printed on demand and shipped by our printing partner, and can be expected to be processed within a few days of the order. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] to follow up.
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