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When conditions are favorable, babies grow into children. December 25, the day on which many believers around the world celebrate Jesus’ birth, has passed. So, in our auditorium worship assembly this Sunday, December 29, our focus changes to two remarkable Jewish boys – Samuel and Jesus – and their parents and faith communities. We can learn a lot about how to live from the texts recounting these relationships, 1 Sam. 1-3 and Lu. 1-2. I will be preaching in English with Spanish translation. I encourage you to join us, in person if possible, and if not, via Zoom.

These passages include moving poetry in which Hannah and Mary (respectively the mothers of Samuel and Jesus) rejoice about how God empowers the weak (including for each of them, by enabling them to conceive). Over the centuries, these texts have been set to music many times. In our culture, Mary’s song (often called “Magnificat” from its translation into Latin) is the better known, probably because for this text Johann Sebastian Bach wrote different music at least three times! But other settings also have merit.  Here is a playlist of other settings (three for Hannah’s, then three for Mary’s) that I think you will enjoy and below is information about the composers and composition dates. 

  • Ted Pearce (American Messianic Jew, 19??-??), Song of Hannah (1 Sam 2), composed 2011
  • James Whitbourn (English, 1963-2024), Song of Hannah, composed 2001
  • Orlando Gibbons (English, 1583-1625), The Song of Hannah: Now in the Lord, published 1623 in "Hymnes and Songs of the Church"
  • John Rutter (English, 1945-), Magnificat anima mea, composed 1990
  • Arvo Part (Estonian, 1935-), Magnificat, composed 1989
  • Tomás Luis de Victoria (Spanish, 1548-1611), Magnificat primi toni, composed 1600

Happy listening and reflection!
-Lloyd

(Image: Hannah at Prayer, Wachtel, Wilhelm, 1875-1942)