Reformed Churchmen: Tudor Musician Robert Parsons (1535-1571): "Nunc Dimittis" and "Magnificat"

Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tudor Musician Robert Parsons (1535-1571): "Nunc Dimittis" and "Magnificat"

Tudor Hampton Court
Royal Chapel

Tudor musician, Robert Parsons (1535-1571), of the Chapel Royal and, perhaps, aide-de-camp, if you will, to William Byrd at Lincoln Cathedral.

Here is the Nunc Dimittis, Luke 2.29-32, Simeon's great confession and exclamation of faith in Christ the Savior, God's salvation, and the gobal, providential and soteriological designs of the Abrahamic covenant (underscored by later Prophets)

"Lorde, nowe lettest thou thy servaunte departe in peace: accordyng to thy woorde....
For myne iyes have sene thy salvacion. Whiche thou haste prepared, before the face of all thy people; To be a lyght for to lighten the Gentiles: and to bee the glorye of thy people of Israel. Glorye be to the father, & etc. As it was in the beginnyng, & etc."

"Nunc Dimittis," Luke 2.229-32

"Magnificat," Luke 1.46ff.