Hildegard Magnificat

Available for SSA or SATB choir with Organ Accompaniment

Composed for the 2009 Christmas Vespers concert at Smith College, which featured new music commissioned for the occasion based on chants composed by the 12th-century composer, artist and mystic Hildegard von Bingen. This Magnificat setting is inspired by Hildegard’s Marian antiphon Quia ergo femina. The original SSA version is dedicated to the Smith College Glee Club, Jonathan Hirsh, director.

Reviews:

“The Hildegard Magnificat takes its name from the source of the main musical motif, namely an antiphon by Hildegard von Bingen. This work is probably more at home in a concert setting than at an Evensong, and while it uses the Rite I text, it does not include a Gloria Patri. The Smith College Glee Club commissioned the work, thus the treble version is the original. The mixed choir arrangement simply redistributes the parts without changing a note of the organ. Perera approaches the text atmospherically, creating a sense of exalted mystery. The closing moments resolve the loose E minor tonality with a surprise Picardy third and minor seventh, and this nebulous harmony typifies the evocative effect of the entire setting. The treble version relies on part divisions to fill our harmonies, requiring an ensemble large enough to cover six parts. The mixed choir voicing would be accessible to most volunteer groups.”

The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians November, 2013

Score Samples:

SSA Audio Excerpt:
Audio excerpt performed by the Smith College Glee Club, Jonathan Hirsh, director, Grant Moss, organ.