'Magnificat' Brings Tears

Image courtesy of Decca

I just stumbled upon this sublime piece of music by Taylor Scott Davis, and wanted to share it. Performed by the VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra, this is the fourth movement from a five-movement masterpiece. The amazing blend of color, melody and harmony here brought tears to my eyes, partly because today was a difficult day for me, and partly because I’m continually in awe of human achievement.

Edit: After giving the entire piece a second listen, the third movement (Et misericordia) might be my favorite. It is the darkest and most complex of the five movements, and contains haunting passages for solo violin.

"Magnificat" references the Canticle of Mary, and each verse tells the story of the Nativity from Mary's perspective. I'm especially touched by the lyrics from the second movement (Shall I Rejoice), and the idea that Mary could have known the fate that awaited the unborn child in her womb. Surely this would have been cause for both joy and torment. The soprano's voice in this movement, by the way, is otherworldly. ✧