Music for Candlemas

February 2, 2025 

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

 

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
 - Luke 2:29-32

 

I’ll let you in on a little secret… Since I started working at St. Joe’s in October of 2021, this is the first time that the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord has fallen on a Sunday, which means this is the first time I’ve had to program music for this particular feast day.

 

This feast has also been traditionally celebrated with lit candles, pointing to Simeon’s description of Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles,” hence the feast sometimes goes by the nickname “Candlemas.” Our music selections for this Sunday include various “light-themed” hymns, as well as three musical settings of Simeon’s canticle, each in a different style—one for the 9:30 AM Family Mass, one for the 11:00 AM High Mass, and one for the 5:00 PM Contemporary Mass. These are:

 

9:30 AM Family Mass

Canticle of Simeon (Randall De Bruyn)

A short and simple setting with three verses drawing on the words of Simeon in the above Gospel passage, and a refrain that goes “Christ is the light of all the nations and the glory of his people Israel.” Our Youth Choir will lead this song during the Communion procession, prior to the Communion Hymn. If you’d like to sing along with the kids (which is always highly encouraged!), the song may be found in our hymnal, #811.

 

11:00 AM High Mass

Lord, Now Lettest Thy Servant Go in Peace (Daniel J. Ward)

If you ever encounter songs with fancy verbs like “makest,” or “leadeth,” or… “lettest,” chances are you’re at the 11:00 AM Mass. This particular setting draws on the wording of the King James Version: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word…” Additionally, composer Daniel Ward weaves Simeon’s words with those found in John 1:4-5—“…through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This happens in the middle of the piece, where the choir builds up to a musical climax, with the words: “Lord, now lettest thy servant go in peace, for mine own eyes have seen the light of men; the darkness shall not overcome.” Our Adult Choir has put a lot of effort into learning this piece, and I think now would be as good a time as ever for a musical reminder that the darkness shall not overcome, right?

 

5:00 PM Contemporary Mass

Simeon’s Song (Tommy Walker)

Our Worship Band has also been hard at work in preparing this contemporary setting of Simeon’s canticle. Tommy Walker’s lyrics take much liberty with paraphrasing, as in the first verse: “The day has come. My eyes have seen your salvation laid before me, which you’ve prepared for all to see: your light, your glory here to set us free.” With these types of paraphrases, I find that the Scriptural references become less apparent than in the case of direct quotations of the Gospel. So, I’ve decided to take artistic liberties as well by inserting one final verse that directly quotes Luke 2:29— “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word,” and this concludes the song. And in keeping with the tradition of Candlemas, our Worship Band will deliver this song with a lit candle.

 

With my peace,

Carlo Serrano, Music Director