O wondrous interchange! The Creator of mankind,
taking upon Him a living body, vouchsafed to be born of a pure virgin.
taking upon Him a living body, vouchsafed to be born of a pure virgin.
— Antiphon for the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In the history of sacred music, it is difficult to pinpoint which text outside of the Psalms has been more frequently set to music: the Mass or the Magnificat. The appeal of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) lies in the catholicity and continuity of the text, since it is being sung somewhere around the world at every second of every day. The Magnificat, however, is not far behind the Mass in Christian devotion. The miraculous story of the infancy narrative in Luke 1 and 2, the uniqueness of Mary’s place in the story of salvation, and the rich vocabulary in the Magnificat have given it a rightful and prominent place in the story of sacred music.
Martin Luther summarizes the threefold purpose of Mary’s hymn:
| Just as a book title indicates what is the content of the book, so this word “magnifies” is used by Mary to indicate what her hymn of praise is to be about, namely, the great works and deeds of God, for the strengthening of our faith, for the comforting of all those of low degree, and for the terrifying of all the mighty ones of earth. We are to let the hymn serve this threefold purpose for she sang it not for herself alone but for us all, to sing it after her. (Luther’s Works [American Edition], 21:306) |
The themes identified by Luther easily explain why the Magnificat has been so appealing to composers across the centuries. The opening phrase alone has oft been the subject of several minutes of music, often starting with a single treble voice and then adding other voices, as if the entire church, from generation to generation, is joining in Mary’s hymn of praise. The proclamation of the great works and deeds of God offer the composer to expand the composition with stately elements and brassy textures. The Great Reversal, whereby God casts down the mighty and exalts the lowly, presents an opportunity for musical contrast, as will be evident in the musical selections below. And the concluding “mini-doxology” on an Abrahamic text is a powerful reminder that “just as Abraham, one man, had received the promise at the beginning on behalf of the entire nation, so one woman, Mary, received the fulfillment of those promises on behalf of the nation at the end of time” (J. McHugh, The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament, p. 79). It is probably fair to say that the Magnificat in art and music is a “living canvass,” to which artists continue to add their distinctive colors and unique contributions, from generation to generation.
The Lord has blessed His church mightily with a host of musical settings of the Magnificat. They range from simple chants to larger works for chorus and orchestra. This column will focus on three English composers who were born in the mid-1800’s and who composed sacred music for England’s mighty cathedrals, using the following translation from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:
The Lord has blessed His church mightily with a host of musical settings of the Magnificat. They range from simple chants to larger works for chorus and orchestra. This column will focus on three English composers who were born in the mid-1800’s and who composed sacred music for England’s mighty cathedrals, using the following translation from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:
| My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations. He hath shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever. Glory be to the Father . . . |
I. John Stainer (1840-1901)
Stainer was an English composer and organist whose music was very popular during his lifetime. His work as a choir master and organist set standards for Anglican church music that are still influential. His short anthem, “God so Loved the World,” (from his oratorio, The Crucifixion) was one of the most frequently performed short choral works among SATB Lutheran choirs in the twentieth century. The following live recording of his Magnificat in B-flat is from a handful of complete services (i.e., settings of the principal liturgical texts of Evensong) that he contributed to the repertoire of sacred music. What do you think is the most endearing trait of this setting?
The organ begins in the lower register and gradually swells to the opening choral statement. Men’s and women’s voices echo one another before joining together to “rejoice in God, my Saviour.” “The lowliness of His handmaiden” provides an opportunity for contrast, with a more lyrical approach. The music takes a dramatic turn for “the strength of his arm,” allowing the hearer to picture the exaltation of the lowly and the casting down of the mighty. Women’s voices proclaim remembrance for Israel, with men’s voices proclaiming the promise to Abraham. The Gloria Patri is a fitting and majestic conclusion, with ongoing antiphony between men’s and women’s voices, propelled forward by a rhythmic organ accompaniment. Is it possible that the most endearing trait, then, is the running contrast between the strength of God Almighty and the tenderness of those of low degree?
II. Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)
Parry was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. As a composer he is best known for the choral song "Jerusalem,” his 1902 setting for the coronation anthem “I was glad,” which still rings through England’s colossal cathedrals, making full use of the legendary acoustics of gothic architecture. Charles Villiers Stanford (please see below) rated him as the finest English composer since Henry Purcell, a claim that is not without merit. Among those who studied under Parry were Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, and John Ireland. The quality of this Magnificat speaks to the excellence of his craftmanship and to a legacy that is in no danger of oblivion any time soon.
As you listen to the music and meditate on the text, notice how the musical setting consistently paints the text. After a brief organ opening, the voices rise in a gesture of joy on the words, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” The music changes with the text, as heard in the tender musical presentation for “handmaiden,” but in a stronger statement for “he that is mighty.” The melody descends in a dark tonality for the words, “put down the mighty,” and predictably rises in a major tonality for the statement, “and has exalted the humble and meek.” At the words, “Glory be to the Father,” the dam breaks, the flood gates open, and God’s mercy seems to sweep over the entire Christian church, from generation to generation.
III. Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
Stanford was an Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor. His associations through the years included Cambridge University Musical Society, Trinity College Cambridge, and the Royal College of Music. Stanford composed a substantial number of concert works, including seven symphonies, but his best-remembered pieces are his sacred choral works, chiefly composed in the Anglican tradition. Why do you think the following setting of Mary’s hymn is informally known as the “spinning wheel” Magnificat?
A staccato figure in the organ sketches the G Major accompaniment and establishes the tonal center. A single treble voice, appropriate for the canticle of the Blessed Virgin, soars to a high G in celestial joy, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Saviour!” The organ accompaniment, along with the occasional high G in the soprano solo, provide continuity and lend a distinct character to the work. A short break sets apart the text, “As he promised to Abraham,” followed by a full cadence on “forever.” After a dramatic pause, the Gloria Patri rings true, using 3/2 meter, which is fitting for the three persons of the Trinity. So why is it called the “spinning wheel” Magnificat? The staccato organ accompaniment (perhaps most evident in the opening measures) sounds like the rotating motion an old-fashioned spinning wheel. This seems fitting for a young maiden whose domestic life in Nazareth was interrupted with the announcement that the Creator of mankind would make her the God-bearer.
In the context of the cathedral office of the West, the Magnificat is generally sung today at Vespers (Lutheran and Roman Catholic) and Evensong (Anglican). Since the Anglican Church prays the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis at Evensong, often sung by a trained choir of men and boys to a specially commissioned setting, they have certainly set the pace for new musical settings since the Reformation. But one Lutheran distinctive is the use of the following Psalm verse as the introduction to Mary’s hymn at Vespers, “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense / And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
God has done all for us in Christ through the Great Exchange, taking on a human body that we might share in all the gifts of His Godhead. He has defeated the power of Satan, cast down all false gods from their thrones, and exalted those who repent of their sins and take refuge in Christ alone. And now the spiritual children of Abraham – ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven – cannot help but set their prayers before God Almighty as incense and to lift up their hands as the evening sacrifice in singing, “My soul doth magnify the Lord!” For Luther, this is but a rehearsal for the ceaseless worship of the Lamb, where “the saints will do nothing in heaven but praise God, because He looked upon them when they were in the depths and there made Himself known to them and loved and praised by them” (LW AE 21:301).
In the context of the cathedral office of the West, the Magnificat is generally sung today at Vespers (Lutheran and Roman Catholic) and Evensong (Anglican). Since the Anglican Church prays the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis at Evensong, often sung by a trained choir of men and boys to a specially commissioned setting, they have certainly set the pace for new musical settings since the Reformation. But one Lutheran distinctive is the use of the following Psalm verse as the introduction to Mary’s hymn at Vespers, “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense / And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
God has done all for us in Christ through the Great Exchange, taking on a human body that we might share in all the gifts of His Godhead. He has defeated the power of Satan, cast down all false gods from their thrones, and exalted those who repent of their sins and take refuge in Christ alone. And now the spiritual children of Abraham – ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven – cannot help but set their prayers before God Almighty as incense and to lift up their hands as the evening sacrifice in singing, “My soul doth magnify the Lord!” For Luther, this is but a rehearsal for the ceaseless worship of the Lamb, where “the saints will do nothing in heaven but praise God, because He looked upon them when they were in the depths and there made Himself known to them and loved and praised by them” (LW AE 21:301).
| Now in holy celebration / Sing we of that mother blest, In whose flesh for men’s salvation / God incarnate deigned to rest, When a kindred salutation, Named in faith the mystic guest. Lo, the advent Word confessing, Spake for joy the voice yet dumb, Through his mother’s lips addressing / Her, of motherhood the sum,-- Bow’r of beauty, blest and blessing, Crowned with fruit of life to come. (15th century hymn for Evening Prayer, from The Brotherhood Prayer Book, p. 518) |
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