In class on Tuesday we talked about the Magnificat. I was listening to the different versions on moodle and I think my favorite was the Hildegard von Bingen version. It is so spiritual and you can tell the care the composer put into the music.
Our task in class was to try to be composers ourselves. We were given the first few lines of the Magnificat and asked to pair it to music. My group started writing one piece, but we all had our own way of attempting to write down our idea that we decided to pick the best of the three when we were done. Hearing our version of the Magnificat out loud made me realize how bad I am at transferring what is in my head to paper. When I attempted to chant my idea, is sounded so dull and boring. It just reiterated for me how hard it is to actually be a musical composer.
A piece of music Professor McGrath has been mentioning for quite some time is the Nunc Dimittis. He regularly references it along with the Magnificat, which is music set around Mary. I did not recognize the Nunc Dimittis when it was first brought up, so figuring out its origin and where I might have heard it before has become my goal for this blog.
The official definition for the Nunc Dimittis is “the Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32) used as a canticle in Christian liturgy, especially at compline and evensong.” After I listened to a recording of the Nunc Dimittis (attached at the bottom), I did could not make out any association of the song at all. The music was unfamiliar, as well as the lyrics. Perhaps it might have been because of the key it was being sung in, but I still did not catch onto it.
In an attempt to try and find a connection to this work through the lyrics, I found that according to the New International Reader’s Vision of the Bible, Luke 2:29-32 goes as so:
29 “Lord, you are the King over all.
Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
That is what you promised. 30 My eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the sight of all nations. 32 It is a light to be given to the Gentiles.
It will be the glory of your people Israel.”
After looking over the lyrics, I still had no recognition. The Nunc Dimittis seems to be a piece I have yet to become familiar with until this class. It was interesting to see words from the Bible being set to music, as Professor McGrath has shown us throughout the semester. I have adored learning about the different influences composers have over their audiences’ opinion and emotional response to readings in the Bible.
In class Tuesday, we looked at the Magnificat. The Magnificat is found in Luke 1:46-55. The verses flow together good in just speaking, but it was our task to put it to music. We split into groups. Professor taught us about time signatures a little bit, but since I was in high school band, I knew a little about how you can be flexible with the time signature. My version of the Magnificat in song form changed time signature almost every measure. My version was very up beat. It was easier to turn the text into a song with the freedom to be creative. Without that knowledge on how to change the time signature, turning the Magnificat to music would have been very difficult.
Before we began getting into the Magnificat in today’s class, we were discussing what denomination “Anglican” is considered to be. I did not know the answer to this so it was nice to learn that it is part of the Church of England, which is also considered to be Episcopal in the United States.
Then, we moved on to the Magnificat. This was the first time I had heard the Magnificat and I really enjoyed listening to it in the many keys that were played. My favorite one that we listened to was the one in B flat because it had a faster tempo and the parts were moving at different times; this rendition was the most interesting to listen to in my opinion.
When asked about what themes could be seen in the text of the Magnificat, I thought it was interesting that the idea of social upheaval and reversal was mentioned. I had not thought of that and I thought it fit what the text was saying very well. I also found it interesting when Dr. McGrath proposed the idea that the Magnificat is proclaiming that the birth of the Messiah will bring the social unrest and upheaval that can be seen as a theme within the text. Overall, I enjoyed the topic and I thought breaking the Magnificat up into our own measures was a fun activity.
I just wanted to mention that it was way more difficult than I could have imagined to try to decide how words should fit together when put into a song. The activity we did yesterday with putting the dashes above the words to show how long each word/syllable would be held was very difficult to actually make it sound good. I know that with practice this task would become easier, but I wonder if it does take some natural talent to make words really sound good in a song.
Luke 1:46-55—A song that is considered Mary’s song of happiness and love to God. This song is a masterpiece. I think that it is so popular because it can be interpreted in so many ways. It was neat to see how each of the groups in class took such an interesting approach when analyzing this text in class. I know that our group’s syllables were very different from many of the other groups. Ours was very slow and broken up.
In class, the discussion revolved around what connections could be made between musicals and the Bible. One example that comes to mind when I think of the Bible and musicals is Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. I participated in that play when I was abck in school. I felt like by putting this story into play form was quite helpful and allowed me to understand the text more in depth. Putting biblical stories into a musical is one of the best ways to engage an audience. It makes the story more visually appealing and it has the message stick longer.
The Magnificat is Mary’s hymn to the Lord. It is taken from Luke’s Gospel, specifically 1:46-55. This text has been set to music numerous times because it provides material that is great for reflection. There are several sections of the Bible that have been associated with music and song, and this is one of them. When setting the Magnificat to music, and trying to set a tempo, groups may take different approaches. Some set the text to a certain tempo, where as others create a tempo based on the emphasis of important words. We attempted to do this in groups in class on Tuesday, and it seemed as if each of the six groups took a different approach. When one group set one beat to each syllable, another decided that the text would be best set to music with a faster tempo that called for certain words to be broken or even drawn out. Our group’s tempo seemed to follow more closely with another groups’. Ours, like another group’s, seemed to be more upbeat and broken, whereas some groups decided to keep theirs more together and flowing. The tempo changed the mood of the text, and put emphasis on certain words. The different tempos seemed to change the meaning without changing the wording.
In the beginning of class, we discussed Mary’s Song of Praise. This passage is particularly interesting as someone had pointed out that lines such as “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones”, that this passage indicated a social upheaval. The professor followed up this point with a question of what is connection between music and social reform. In my opinion, there has always been some sort of connection; especially with something as significant as chanting during protests, or Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. This connection is important since it invokes emotion and spreads awareness for issues that people would like to highlight. Tying this back to the text, this passage is type of “protest song” through some of the foreshadowing of the reform the future Jesus Christ will bring. In addition it is important to make the conclusion that Social Reform does not just intersect with The Bible, but with other components of life like pop culture and politics.
Over Spring break I had the opportunity to witness the traveling musical: The Cross and the Light. This musical was performed at a spacious auditorium in Carmel High School. The musical was a religious sound and sight experience, complete with seven talented cast members, surround sound system, and light projector that encompassed the entire wall behind the stage. I will break down the musical by rating specific categories out of 10 and giving the musical an overall score.
Religion
Religion was a major component of this show, as the show centered around the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Not only did the actual show portray this intense scene from the Bible with obvious devotion, religion was also utilized outside of the performance. The producer came out and opened the show with prayer, and thanked the Catholic school kids and nuns that were able to come to the show for free. Above the audience were office spaces that were occupied by priests. The producer explained that if you felt compelled, you could participate in the sacrament of confession after the show. Religion, and specifically Catholicism, permeated the show’s set up, actors, and overall production. 10/10
Music
The actual instrumentals in the background was not live, but a recording played on a sound system. The live lyrics came from the cast members. Three women and four men composed the various characters in the story of the crucifixion, sometimes switching back and forth to different characters. One man remained the same character throughout: Jesus. He had a larger than life presence with a booming voice and dreads down to his shoulders. Everyone’s voice was spot-on when singing. One man, Judas, hit incredibly high soprano notes. The impressive range was great, but not perfect. Their mics could have been turned up at times and you could tell that at some point that the quick character change drained the cast members of energy. 8/10
Lyrics
The lyrics to the music had a modern spin on the story of the crucifixion. At one point after Jesus had been dead on the cross, a few bad guys were mocking his lifeless body. They sang about “where is you God now?” and even added a few lines about how they could do whatever they wanted with the slain Jesus. To this, they pulled out a cellphone and snapped a selfie with the limp body of Jesus. It was a way to portray the death and humiliation Jesus went through in relation to modern technology. I thought this was an interesting interpretation. Modern aspects were sprinkled here and there throughout the show. 9/10
Appearance
At some point the show was a sight and sensory overload. Projected images surrounded the stage, depicting abstract images that tried to depict the emotion that was happening with the cast. When Jesus was being flogged and nailed to the cross, the lights burned red, and pictures of faces in agony flashed across the screen. When Mary was overjoyed upon hearing the news that her son had risen, a montage of families loving and hugging one another spun around the room. When Jesus was singing there were bright colors on a black background, giving the feeling that he was standing in the middle of the cosmos. It was cool to add this projection to the show. It gave it dimension and made it unique from other crucifixion stories I have seen before. However, some of the pictures were too cheesy and looked more like it came from a PowerPoint slide rather than a professional production. 7/10
Atmosphere
All of the above categories added to the atmosphere. The setting was in a place of education for kids. The audience was a little older, with lots of nuns, priests, and church-goers. The total atmosphere was laid back and people seemed genuinely happy that they were attending the show. 9/10
