Music for the Presentation of Our Lord: Holst’s “Nunc Dimittis”

Since tomorrow is the Feast of the Presentation, Holst’s “Nunc Dimittis” is an appropriate selection for Music Monday, here with Caravaggio’s powerful depiction of “The Presentation” as the backdrop.

     “Nunc Dimittis” is the Latin name for the prayer the old man Simeon says when he picks up the Christ Child in the temple. It has been a part of Compline, the liturgical Night  Prayer of the Church, for many centuries.

    You may or may not be familiar with the early twentieth century composer Gustav Holst, but you are almost certainly familiar with at least one of his musical compositions, at least if you’re in the habit of darkening a church door from time to time. The popular hymn “O God Beyond All Praising” is set to music that was originally part of Holst’s secular composition The Planets.  His “Nunc Dimittis”, on the other hand, was always intended to be sacred music. He wrote this choral piece, heavily influenced by sixteenth century masters of polyphony William Byrd and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, specifically as an accompaniment to the “Nunc Dimittis”. 

Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace:
Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum
Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum:
Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.