Rather than the usual reading for the Sunday after Christmas,
I am drawn to Luke 2:21-40 and the song of Simeon.
Read the whole text HERE
We don't hear this story often
and yet the simple "song" of Simeon
is as lovely as the song of Mary.
God, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.
I vaguely remembered hearing a musical setting of the song
and was amazed with the huge number and variety of song settings I found.
Let me share a few with you.
Simeon’s Song by Michael Card
Song of Simeon by Chesnokov
Simeon’s Canticle by Manoling Francisco, sj,
sung by Hangad
Song of Simeon by
Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956)
Song of Simeon also goes by the title Nunc Dimittis from the Latin
meaning now let go.
Nunc Dimittis by Orbán György
For a more modern version listen to
Song of Simeon by Slavomír
Hořínka (1980)
for baritone, cembalo and
strings
(2012)
with Tomáš Král, baritone
For a more meditative version listen to a Taize version
with words in Latin and then in English if you want to sing along.
nunc dimittis
servum tuum Domine,
secundum verbum tuum
in pace
Let your servant
now go in peace, O God
now go in peace, O God
now go in peace
according to your word
And now this "servant" will go . . . to bed.
according to your word
And now this "servant" will go . . . to bed.
