A quick calculation shows that the 21-CD Priory Records Mag and Nunc set (see my previous posting) contains some 188 different settings of the canticles (including a few instances of free-standing Mags or Nuncs). A few settings appear more than once, such as Dyson in D. About a third of these 188 I would be unlikely ever to sing, because they are only in local use, and/or for men’s voices only or for trebles only (in practice I’m never asked to sing canticles of this last type). I estimate that I’ve sung a little over half of the rest at one time or another. Many of them I learnt with the choir of my Cambridge college, which performed about thirty different settings a year.
188 different settings – but which ones aren’t there? I found one very striking omission: William Mathias’ ‘Jesus College’ canticles, which I think of as a standard part of the repertoire; at any rate I can recall the music instantly to mind. I found that early settings were rather under-represented (for example Caustun, Humphrey, and a couple I’ve done by Tomkins). Perhaps when the recordings were made there weren’t good editions, or they were inconveniently long. The same two reasons may account for the absence of Stanford’s Magnificat in B flat for double choir, which has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity thanks to a new edition (I will leave to another time my views on on whether this is deserved or not!).
Some of the missing ones are missing for good reason! I can’t remember anything about Arnold in A, Nicholson in D flat or Macpherson in D, for example. There was a time when these and their like formed a large proportion of the settings I sang – a pity when there were good settings around which were no harder.
On the other hand, listening to these CDs has reminded me of many settings I ought to add to my wishlist: among them Ayleward, Howells in B minor, Purcell in B flat, Tippett St. John’s, Parry in D. Now that the music list for my forthcoming trip to Winchester has been announced I see that I get a chance to sing Bairstow in D for the first time.
When the American Book of Common Prayer was revised in 1979, the canticles for morning and evening prayer were expanded within the rites for those services.
I think all these additional canticles are traditional texts, but I suppose that the purpose to include them in the rites was to expand the reflection for these services beyond the mag and nuncs for evening prayer, or the jubliate and te deum for morning prayer.
Our morning prayer or evening prayer liturgies are more likely used for individual devotion or special occasions.
In our churches we have mostly neglected the tradition of weekly evensong or matins (muchless daily), so we don’t see new choral music expanding to cover these additional canticle texts. Magnificats and Nuncs Dimmitis are still being commissioned for festivals and special occasions.
As some American parishes do keep alive our Anglican choral tradition, I hope that we will commision new choral works to add to the catolog of music. And that we will have more opportunities to connect both with past music as well as new choral works with these liturgies.
I heard an amazing performance recently of Martin’s mass for two choirs and appreciated once again the value of musical commentary of text, taking apart words and phrases, illustrating them, and re-packaging the words.
The 1662 Prayer Book also provides for alternative canticles at Mattins and Evensong. The Mattins ones (Benedictus and Benedicite) turn up quite often, at least in places where Mattins is done at all. The Evensong alternative canticles (Cantate Domino and Deus Misereatur) only come round once in a blue moon, perhaps because the texts get used anyway in the cycle of psalms. There’s a lovely setting of them by Purcell.
One of the Priory Records Mag and Nunc set is the choir of St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue singing (mostly) American settings. None were known to me and they’re mostly on a large scale; reading what you say, I conclude that this is because they were written for use in festal services.