By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity . . . Good Lord, deliver us!
— from The Litany
On the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, many of the Faithful hear the following Introit: “Drop down, ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness.” As Advent turns to Christmas and expectation to fulfillment, many of us will hopefully take time to sing, pray, and meditate on the following ancient responsory for Matins on Christmas Day:
| O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentum in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia! | O great mystery and wondrous sacrament that animals should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger! Blessed [is the] Virgin, whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia! |
Among the Biblical foundations for this text are no doubt St. John 1:1-14, especially v. 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Also pertinent is the early Christological hymn in I Timothy 3:16:
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
[Christ] was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
The mention of animals might catch the hearer off guard at first reading, but one must not overlook any detail of the infancy of Christ. Consider, for instance, the following hymn stanza from the 5th century Christmas hymn from the Latin tradition, “From East to West”:
[Jesus] shrank not form the oxen’s stall / He lay within the manger-bed,
And he, whose bounty feedeth all, / At Mary’s breast Himself was fed.
The historical narrative of Jesus’ infancy is also foundational for this liturgical text, especially the Lukan texts on the Annunciation (1:26-38) and the visitation (1:39-45), perhaps most notably Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v. 42).
Through the centuries, this text has inspired numerous composers; so many, in fact, that our survey of musical settings of this text will require multiple columns over the coming years. I would like to begin with a living composer, Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943), Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of Southern California. The composer himself describes the unique inspiration for his 1994 setting of O Magnum Mysterium, which was premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 1994:
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
[Christ] was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
The mention of animals might catch the hearer off guard at first reading, but one must not overlook any detail of the infancy of Christ. Consider, for instance, the following hymn stanza from the 5th century Christmas hymn from the Latin tradition, “From East to West”:
[Jesus] shrank not form the oxen’s stall / He lay within the manger-bed,
And he, whose bounty feedeth all, / At Mary’s breast Himself was fed.
The historical narrative of Jesus’ infancy is also foundational for this liturgical text, especially the Lukan texts on the Annunciation (1:26-38) and the visitation (1:39-45), perhaps most notably Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v. 42).
Through the centuries, this text has inspired numerous composers; so many, in fact, that our survey of musical settings of this text will require multiple columns over the coming years. I would like to begin with a living composer, Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943), Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of Southern California. The composer himself describes the unique inspiration for his 1994 setting of O Magnum Mysterium, which was premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 1994:
Now listen to O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen and enjoy the profound sense of mystery in this work, which the composer himself described as “a quiet song of profound inner joy”:
The music starts slowly (72 bpm) and softly (pp), with a simple melody in the alto line to propel the first measure forward. Can you hear a “glistening” in the first chord, created in part by a softly clashing dissonance in the tenor line? The melody on “O” is passed from voice to voice as the textures expand and contract with the natural swell of the melodic line. The G-sharp that the composer mentioned in the previous video occurs at 3:03 and again at 3:28 in this video, creating a blatant harmonic clash between soprano and alto. This sharp dissonance only occurs on the word Virgo (virgin), which depicts the sword in Mary’s soul that she experienced in Jesus’ Passion (Luke 2:35). This direct line from the birth narrative to the Passion is supported by the similarity of the following Lukan passages on the infancy (2:7) and the burial (23:53):
| And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. | [Joseph] took down [Jesus’ body] and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone Where no one had ever yet been laid. |
The word “Christ” is heard for the first time at 3:41, with an eight-part texture (SSAATTBB) and a six-count crescendo to highlight this key word in the history of salvation. At 3:48, the word “Alleluia” is sung by first sopranos and three bass parts, while “O Magnum” is sung by the four inner voices (S2, A, T1, T2), perhaps conveying the good news that heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. Indeed, it is as if all creation is singing God’s praises while proclaiming the mystery of the incarnation, similar to the angelic apparition to the lowly shepherds in Luke 2. The leads quickly to the first and only forte in the work (4:04 in this video), including a brief expansion to nine vocal parts (SSAATTBBB). After this climactic moment, the work gradually returns to earth, with decreasing dynamics and thinning textures, until all voices settle at ppp on the final “Alleluia”. Perhaps the reader will agree with Nick Strimple’s assessment that “Lauridsen’s probing, serene work contains an illusive and indefinable ingredient which leaves the impression that all the questions have been answered” (Choral Music in the Twentieth Century, p. 247). In theological terms, it is as if we mere mortals are out of breath, and yet, we can rest in confidence that the angels, who first proclaimed Jesus’ birth, will continue to sing the eternal “Alleluia,” world without end.
The liturgical context of any musical setting of the “O Magnum” text is of course the Twelve Days of Christmas. Church musicians who schedule a festival of nine lessons and carols might schedule a setting of “O Magnum” to be sung after the ninth and final lesson (St. John 1:1-14) as the theological high point of the service and a transition to the Christ-Mass. Consider, for instance, the following video from Kings College Cambridge, where the service of nine lessons and carols originated:
The liturgical context of any musical setting of the “O Magnum” text is of course the Twelve Days of Christmas. Church musicians who schedule a festival of nine lessons and carols might schedule a setting of “O Magnum” to be sung after the ninth and final lesson (St. John 1:1-14) as the theological high point of the service and a transition to the Christ-Mass. Consider, for instance, the following video from Kings College Cambridge, where the service of nine lessons and carols originated:
Do pardon the abrupt ending in this video, but you can see how this sacred work leads naturally to the following Collect for First Vespers of the Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord:
| O God, who hast made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true light: grand, we beseech Thee, that, as we have known on earth the mysteries of that Light; we may also come to the fullness of its joy in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen. (from The Brotherhood Prayerbook, p. 403) |
If a setting of “O Magnum” is sung on Christmas Day, then it is fitting as a responsory to any of the lessons, although it is most naturally and directly connected to St. John 1:1-14, perhaps even in conjunction with a gospel processional. This text is a perfect fit as attendant music for the Lord’s Supper during the entire Christmas season, a joyful proclamation of the great mystery and admirable sacrament that the Word is still made flesh to dwell among us in the Blessed Sacrament. Appropriate musical settings of “O Magnum” can extend throughout Christmastide, as suggested by the following Antiphon for the Benedictus for the Circumcision and Name of Jesus (Jan. 1): “A great and wondrous mystery is made to us this day: in a new manner are natures united, for God is become incarnate” (from The Brotherhood Prayerbook, p. 410).
In his program notes for the CD, Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, program annotator Peter Rutenberg writes, “In the history of music, heaven has played a willing matchmaker to a mere handful of composers and habitats: In the Renaissance, it was Byrd in London, Lassus at Munich, Palestrina for Rome.” The writer goes on to acquaint the finest composers and their respective cities through the ages (Mozart in Salzburg, Bach in Leipzig, Brahms in Vienna, etc.) and then writes, “The third millennium crests the horizon of our time amid the limelit dawn on Los Angeles and Morten Lauridsen” (RCM CD 19705). To be sure, the author of the liner notes probably overstates the situation, but he makes a point nonetheless. Not unlike Jesus’ origins in lowly Nazareth, the Lord has once again gifted His Church from a most unexpected place, Los Angeles -- O great mystery indeed! -- a profound reminder that the Lord has not abandoned His church, even when it seems that all has been lost to the raucous savagery of contemporary Christian music. O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is a vital contribution of our generation to the vast repertoire of sacred music for Christmas. In my estimation, it is worthy to stand alongside Nicolaus Herman’s (c. 1480-1561) timeless hymn on the same mystery that the Lord would deliver us by His incarnation and nativity:
[Christ] undertakes a great exchange, Puts on our human frame,
And in return gives us His realm, His glory, and His name.
He is a servant, I a lord: How great a mystery!
How strong the tender Christ Child’s love! No truer friend than He.
(Lutheran Service Book 389.5)
In his program notes for the CD, Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, program annotator Peter Rutenberg writes, “In the history of music, heaven has played a willing matchmaker to a mere handful of composers and habitats: In the Renaissance, it was Byrd in London, Lassus at Munich, Palestrina for Rome.” The writer goes on to acquaint the finest composers and their respective cities through the ages (Mozart in Salzburg, Bach in Leipzig, Brahms in Vienna, etc.) and then writes, “The third millennium crests the horizon of our time amid the limelit dawn on Los Angeles and Morten Lauridsen” (RCM CD 19705). To be sure, the author of the liner notes probably overstates the situation, but he makes a point nonetheless. Not unlike Jesus’ origins in lowly Nazareth, the Lord has once again gifted His Church from a most unexpected place, Los Angeles -- O great mystery indeed! -- a profound reminder that the Lord has not abandoned His church, even when it seems that all has been lost to the raucous savagery of contemporary Christian music. O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is a vital contribution of our generation to the vast repertoire of sacred music for Christmas. In my estimation, it is worthy to stand alongside Nicolaus Herman’s (c. 1480-1561) timeless hymn on the same mystery that the Lord would deliver us by His incarnation and nativity:
[Christ] undertakes a great exchange, Puts on our human frame,
And in return gives us His realm, His glory, and His name.
He is a servant, I a lord: How great a mystery!
How strong the tender Christ Child’s love! No truer friend than He.
(Lutheran Service Book 389.5)
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