Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Hatfield Service) Cover Image

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Hatfield Service): Choral Octavo

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Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Hatfield Service) Cover Image
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Hatfield Service): Choral Octavo

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Hatfield Service): Choral Octavo

By Alec Roth

Item: 98-EP72823
$5.50
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Description

This setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis was composed during Alec Roth's residency as Visiting Fellow, Hatfield College, University of Durham in 2008. The first performance was given by the Chapel Choir, directed by Matthew Carlton, with Nicholas Arden (organ), Hatfield College Chapel, 15 June 2008. A recording by Ex Cathedra, directed by Jeffrey Skidmore, with Tim Harper (organ), is available on the CD 'A Time to Dance' on the Hyperion label (CDA68144)

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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 16
ISBN10: 0-57-701164-2
ISBN13: 979-0-57-701164-6
SKU: 98-EP72823

More about this title

About the Composer: Alec Roth

Alec Roth is a British composer whose choral and sacred music has earned performances and recordings by major ensembles including Ex Cathedra and the BBC Singers. His work often engages with liturgical texts and ecclesiastical traditions, bringing both harmonic sophistication and lyrical clarity to sacred repertoire.

Roth's tenure as Visiting Fellow at Hatfield College, University of Durham resulted in this service setting, which premiered with the college's chapel choir in 2008. The piece has since been recorded and performed by professional and collegiate choirs alike, establishing itself as a thoughtful addition to contemporary English choral literature.

Why we love this

Roth's Hatfield Service strips away unnecessary complexity while maintaining real harmonic and textural sophistication. The writing sits beautifully in the choir's voice and rewards careful attention to text declamation without demanding virtuosity. This is choral music that breathes and communicates with genuine liturgical purpose.

What to expect

The music unfolds with quiet dignity and harmonic warmth, neither austere nor sentimental. Roth's palette includes moments of luminous simplicity alongside richer, more complex textures that invite the listener deeper into the text's spiritual content.

Who it's for

This service works for collegiate and cathedral choirs, adult volunteer ensembles with solid sight-reading skills, and advanced secondary choirs seeking substantial choral literature beyond simplified arrangements. Singers should have secure part-reading ability and comfort with contemporary harmonic language.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the text expressively within a measured, contemplative tempo. These canticles benefit from clarity in word stress and phrasing rather than dramatic shifts in speed.
  • Listen across the choir for blend in sustained passages. Roth's harmonic language rewards unified vowel production and careful balancing of inner parts.
  • Work the organ partnership early. The accompaniment isn't optional coloring; coordinate entries and releases so the instrumental sound supports rather than obscures the text.
  • Distinguish between the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis textually and emotionally. Mary's song carries different energy than Simeon's; let your interpretation reflect that shift.

How to use it

This service pairs naturally with sung liturgy or as the centerpiece of an evensong-style concert. It also sits well on programs that feature contemporary sacred choral works, or in recitals that trace the evolution of English choral music from the Tudor period forward.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and sustaining contemporary harmonic language
  • Text-driven phrasing and expressive delivery within a liturgical context
  • Balance and blend in four-part writing with internal complexity
  • Coordination with organ accompaniment
  • Understanding structural relationships between paired canticle texts

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