MAGNIFICAT in Db

Magnificat in Db - SATB div. + Soprano solo from within choir Moderate/Advanced

Duration c. 4'20''

Score available from https://composersedition.com/alison-willis-magnificat-and-nunc-dimittis-in-db/

This Magnificat was written as a response to the Nunc Dimittis by Arvo Pärt . This then left me with a Magnificat without a Nunc Dimittis, so I wrote a Nunc Dimittis to accompany it, (you can listen to a perusal score video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czLIWceOY8&list=RD_czLIWceOY8&start_radio=1

I am passionate about forgotten women's voices and the soprano solo lines are very much intended to be a reflection of Mary's wonder and awe. Musically the piece is coloured by the fluidity of the rhythm, entirely driven by the words, that gives rise to the ever shifting bar lengths indicated by the dotted bar lines, and the long sustained notes throughout.

Above all I hope it is enjoyable both to sing and to listen to and that it reflects something of the beauty and timelessness of Pärt’s music.

For more information about Alison please visit www.alisonwillis.com

Recorded as part of Siglo de Oro's 2025 album Wisdom & Strength which takes the listener through the liturgy of an imaginary Sunday in settings by a clutch of diverse living composers, while at the same time traversing the spiritually richest parts of the Church’s year – the darkness of Lent and Holy Week, the joy of Easter, and the mysterious beauty and power of the feasts of the Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity.

To this programme, Siglo de Oro brings the same imagination and flair that have won the choir huge critical acclaim.

https://www.delphianrecords.com/products/wisdom-strength-contemporary-sacred-choral-music