“Nunc Dimittis”. By: Geoffrey Burgon. From The BBC Series: “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”. Sung By: Paul Phoenix (Boy Treble).

“Simeon’s Song of Praise”.

Artist: Arent de Gelder (1645 – 1727).

“Presentation of Jesus at the Temple”.

Date: Between 1700 and 1710.

Collection: Mauritshuis.

Source/Photographer: Not known.

(Wikimedia Commons)

“Nunc Dimittis”.

By: Geoffrey Burgon.

From the BBC Series: 

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”.

Sung By: Paul Phoenix (Boy Treble).

Based on John Le Carré’s Spy Novel 

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”.

Available on YouTube

HERE

“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in Peace, according to Thy word

For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation 

which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people 

To be a Light to Lighten the Gentiles 

and to be the Glory of Thy people Israel.

 

Glory be to The Father 

and to The Son 

and to The Holy Ghost 

As it was in the beginning 

is now and ever shall be 

World without end.

Amen”

and . . .

for comparison . . .

“Nunc Dimittis”.

By: Geoffrey Burgon.

From the BBC Series: 

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Images of Lincoln Cathedral, England, 2012. 

Performance: Boy Treble: Thomas Hopkins. 

Trumpet: John Wallace.

King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England 

Director of Music: Sir Stephen Cleobury.

Yet another lovely piece by Geoffrey Burgon — this time for the BBC TV Series adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (1979), starring Sir Alec Guinness, Ian Richardson CBE, and other distinguished actors.

 

English Composer Geoffrey Burgon was equally known 

for his film and television scores, and for his serious choral, vocal and orchestral works.

 

He wrote the music for British TV’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”; “Brideshead Revisited”, and “The Forstye Saga”, 

among others, and his film work also includes 

Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”. 

His compositional voice is melodic and 

influenced by Benjamin Britten and Mediæval music. 

“Nunc Dimittis”.

According to the narrative in the Gospel of Saint Luke 2:25-32, Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by The Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. 

When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for the ceremony of Consecration of the 

first-born son (after the time of Mary’s Purification: At least forty days after the birth, and thus distinct from the Circumcision), Simeon was there, and he took Jesus into his arms and uttered words rendered here in the English (Anglican) Book of Common Prayer, 1662: 

“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in Peace, according to Thy word

For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation 

which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people 

To be a Light to Lighten the Gentiles 

and to be the Glory of Thy people Israel”.

The following is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

The “Nunc Dimittis”[1], also known as the “Song of Simeon” or the “Canticle of Simeon”, is a Canticle taken from the Second Chapter of the Gospel of Luke. 

Its Latin name comes from its Incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate translation, meaning: “Now You let depart”.[2] 

Since the 4th-Century A.D., it has been used in Christian Services of Evening Worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.[3]

The Title is formed from the opening words in the Latin Vulgate: “Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine” (“Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord”). 

Although brief, the Canticle abounds in Old Testament allusions. For example: “Because my eyes have seen Thy Salvation” alludes to Isaiah 52:10.[4]