St Luke tells us in his Gospel that the angels sang praises to God at the birth of Jesus, and he has given us various canticles that have become part of Christian worship: the Gloria, Ave Maria, Magnificat, the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis.
They are full of praise and rejoicing. The Nunc Dimittis comes as Mary and Joseph fulfil the Law of Moses and bring the child Jesus to Jerusalem. In the temple they meet the aged Simeon and Anna. They represent each of us who can look back over life with gratitude in the face of death as Simeon says, “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace” (Luke 2: 29-32). It is a story that has inspired preachers, artists and composers.
In the Anglican tradition the Nunc Dimittis has become part of Evensong, the Prayer Book Office at the end of each day, not just the end of life. Cathedral and parish church choirs have sung settings of these words in the great tradition of Anglican choral music– settings that have captured the sense of quiet resignation, but also conveyed the glory of the light that is Jesus shining for all people. Rachmaninov’s setting is part of his Vespers, the night-long vigil sung in the Russian Orthodox Church on the eve of great feasts.
Rachmaninov composed the work (and it comprises 15 pieces) at great speed, but even so, the Vespers are now seen as one of the great masterpieces of religious music. Though Rachmaninov’s famous setting familiar as the ‘Vespers’ and often observed to be ‘the All-Night Vigil’, it is in fact neither: it is a musical setting of fifteen canticles and other responses from the monastic office that takes place throughout the night preceding great feasts. In this setting Rachmaninov has selected texts from the Russian use which consists of Great Vespers, Matins and Orthos (the First Hour). Although not overtly religious Rachmaninov was steeped in the Orthodox religious culture of his Russian homeland which is never more evident than in this masterpiece. Some of the texts, well known to Western Christians, include the Nunc dimittis, Gloria and Magnificat. Others are the ancient and greatly treasured prayers of the Orthodox tradition. Nine of the fifteen sections use real chants and the entire work is consciously based on them. In the Orthodox tradition, however, these chants are musical creations that have by their use in worship over many generations, acquired a quality of holiness and for this reason many Orthodox Christians find it difficult to listen to them ‘performed’ as entertainment in the concert hall.
The beautiful setting of the 5th canticle, the Nunc Dimittis, Just 36 bars long, begins with a rocking, undulating figure in the upper voices. A solo tenor enters as the voice of Simeon, and it ends with the basses moving down to a low B flat, ‘a sigh of wonder and resignation on the threshold of eternal rest and peace,’ one critic has called it.
Rachmaninov later recalled, “After I played the passage at the end of the 5th canticle where the basses slowly descend to that low note, the conductor shook his head, saying, ‘Now where on earth will we find such basses? They are as rare as asparagus at Christmas!’ Nevertheless, he did find them.” It was one of the composer’s favourite pieces, and he asked for it to be sung at his funeral in the hope that it would send his ‘ship of death gently towards the unknown region.’”
On 2nd February we shall hear these words as part of the Gospel on the feast of Candlemas. Simeon prays them because his cup is now overflowing. He has looked on the salvation of God. Music allows us to look on that glory and salvation also, and Rachmaninov, in his moving setting, has captured the calm trust of that moment, which shines out like the brightness of the light of Jesus.
Original Author The Rev’d Michael Burgess with additional material by Christopher Jobson.
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Feature Image: Giovanni Bellini, “Nunc Dimittis”, c.1505-c.1510, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.