Sunday 30th June 2024 Evensong

 The Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis in B flat  C V Stanford

Taken from Wikipedia.
The Magnificat (Latin for "[My soul] magnifies [the Lord]") is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos . It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical services of the Catholic Church (at vespers) and of the Eastern Orthodox churches (at the morning services). It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn. Its name comes from the incipit of the Latin version of the canticle's text.

The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke (1:46–55) where it is spoken by Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. In the narrative, after Mary greets Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist, the latter moves within Elizabeth's womb. Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith (using words partially reflected in the Hail Mary), and Mary responds with what is now known as the Magnificat.

Within the whole of Christianity, the Magnificat is most frequently recited within the Liturgy of the Hours. In Western Christianity, the Magnificat is most often sung or recited during the main evening prayer service: Vespers in the Catholic and Lutheran churches, and Evening Prayer (or Evensong) in Anglicanism. In Eastern Christianity, the Magnificat is usually sung at Sunday Matins. Among Protestant groups, the Magnificat may also be sung during worship services, especially in the Advent season during which these verses are traditionally read.

The Nunc dimittis, also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate translation of the passage, meaning "Now let depart". Since the 4th century it has been used in services of evening worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.

The title is formed from the opening words in the Latin Vulgate, “Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine" ("Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord"). Although brief, the canticle abounds in Old Testament allusions. For example, "Because my eyes have seen thy salvation" alludes to Isaiah 52:10.

According to the narrative in Luke 2:25-32, Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for the ceremony of redemption of the firstborn son (after the time of Mary's purification: at least 40 days after the birth, and thus distinct from the circumcision), Simeon was there, and he took Jesus into his arms and uttered words rendered variously as follows:

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :

according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen :

thy salvation;

Which thou hast prepared :

before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :

and to be the glory of thy people Israel

All In The April Evening  H S Roberton

Composed in 1911, this piece became widely known and performed throughout the English speaking world in its vocal and choral versions. The composer, Hugh Roberton, was the founder and conductor of the famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir in whose repertoire this song constantly featured. The song is a setting of words by Katharine Tynan. 

Sir Hugh Stevenson Roberton (23 February 1874 – 7 October 1952) was a Scottish composer and Britain's leading choral-master.

Roberton was born in Glasgow, left school at the age of 14 and entered the family business - a funeral directors - which by the age of 21 he was managing. He worked there into the 1930s, devoting most of his spare time to music making. He was also involved in the artistic side of the Labour movement, a Fabian socialist, life-long pacifist and a friend of Ramsay MacDonald.

Roberton inherited his love of folk song from his mother, an untrained singer, and was largely self-taught in music, learning by singing in choirs and later directing them. As well as music, Roberton was an author and playwright. He wrote two plays, Kirsteen and Christ in the Kirkyaird (published together in 1922), some humorous essays under the title Curdies (1931), and a handbook, Choir Singing (1925).

Orpheus Choir

In 1906 he founded the Glasgow Orpheus Choir. For five years before that it was the Toynbee Musical Association. A perfectionist, he expected the highest standards of performance from its members. Its voice was a choir voice, its individual voices not tolerated. He set new standards in choral technique and interpretation. For almost fifty years, until it disbanded in 1951 on the retirement of its founder, the Glasgow Orpheus Choir had no equal in Britain and toured widely enjoying world acclaim. Their repertoire included many Scottish folk songs arranged for choral performance, and Paraphrases, as well as Italian madrigals, English motets (including early performances of Elgar's partsongs) and the music of the Russian Orthodox Church. The choir also performed the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn, Peter Cornelius, Johannes Brahms and others.

The autobiographical Orpheus with his Lute: a Glasgow Orpheus Choir Anthology, was published posthumously in 1963, with contributions by Roberton and other material edited by his son Kenneth.

Composer and arranger

Roberton published over 300 of his own compositions and arrangements. The concert edition of Scottish Songs was first published in 1929. Songs of the Isles (1937) collects a further 20 songs based on highland airs, including Westering Home, and Mairi's Wedding. (The original Gaelic lyric and tune of Mairi's Wedding was by John Bannerman, 1865-1938). Roberton wrote alternative lyrics for Dashing White Sergeant, also included in the volume. His best known original composition is the partsong All in the April evening (words by Katharine Tynan).

Personal life

Roberton was knighted in the 1931 New Year's Honours.[5] Because of his pacifism and membership of the Peace Pledge Union both he and the Glasgow Orpheus Choir were banned by the BBC from broadcasting during the Second World War.

His married his first wife Joan McGillivray in 1895. She died in 1907. His second wife, previously his housekeeper, was Lady Helen (Birkmyre) Roberton. She died in Cathcart, Glasgow in 1965, aged 83 years. There were seven sons and two daughters, including the politician and diplomat Hugh Roberton and Kenneth Roberton, music publisher.

Sir Hugh Roberton

Taken from Wikipedia

Katharine Tynan (23 January 1859 – 2 April 1931) was an Irish writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. After her marriage in 1893 to the Trinity College scholar, writer and barrister Henry Albert Hinkson (1865–1919) she usually wrote under the name Katharine Tynan Hinkson, or variations thereof. Tynan's younger sister Nora Tynan O'Mahony (née Tynan, 1866–1954) was also a poet and one of her three children, Pamela Hinkson (1900–1982), was also known as a writer. The Katharine Tynan Road in Belgard, Tallaght is named after her.

Biography

Tynan was born into a small farming family in County Dublin and educated at the Dominican St. Catherine's, a convent school in Drogheda. Her poetry was first published in 1875. She met and became friendly with the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in 1886. Tynan went on to play a major part in Dublin literary circles, until she married and moved to England; later she lived at Claremorris, County Mayo when her husband was a magistrate from 1914 until 1919.

From June 1885 when they first met until around the time of her marriage in 1893, Tynan was a close associate of and regular correspondent with William Butler Yeats (who may have proposed marriage and been rejected). Tynan was also later a correspondent of Francis Ledwidge. She is said to have written over 100 novels. Her Collected Poems appeared in 1930; she also wrote five autobiographical volumes.

Tynan contributed to many periodicals and magazines such as the Jesuit published Studies, the Dominican published Irish Rosary, Irish Monthly, Hibernia and Dublin University Review.

Tynan died in Wimbledon, London aged 72.

Katharine Tynan

Taken from Wikipedia