Nunc dimittis

The Gospel Canticle, also known as the Canticle of Simeon or by its incipit Nunc dimittis, is found in the Proper of the Office of Compline and taken from the Gospel of Luke 2:29-32. The Canticle of Simeon is one of the three "Evangelical Canticles" along with the Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) and the Canticle of Zachary (Benedictus). In the Canticle of Simeon, Luke tells the story of a "righteous and devout" man named Simeon who was "looking forward to the consolation of Israel." The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Messiah, and thus guided him in his old age to the temple where Joseph and Mary had brought the infant Jesus. Luke writes that Simeon took the child in his arms and proclaimed the words of this canticle, the text of the Nunc dimittis found above. One of the celebrations within the daily cycle of the Divine Office in the Roman Catholic Church, Compline is the office immediately following Vespers, and intended for observance at the completion of the day, or prior to sleep. Within Compline, as within each of the offices of the liturgical hours, there exists a body of corresponding monophonic plainchant in the form of psalms, hymns, and antiphons, and smaller chants such as versicles, responsories, canticles, and others. A wealth of polyphonic settings also exists of many of these chants and texts, spanning all periods of music history. Most of the sacred Latin choral repertoire originates in some segment of Roman Catholic liturgy, and since the hours of the Divine Office each have an assigned corpus of texts and plainchant, a sizable quantity of that repertoire has its roots in the traditional celebrations of the Divine Office. Moreover, the Marian Antiphons, which are among the more popularly performed sacred Latin choral texts, are specifically connected to the office of Compline. Omnes compleant: A Conductor's Resource Guide to the Office of Compline (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma, 2006) is a doctoral dissertation by the editor of this motet designed to offer resources for the conductor or choral musician interested in constructing services or concert programs based on the music of Compline. Serving primarily as a resource for the integration of Compline plainchant with performances of related polyphonic works, the document provides an historical overview of the evolution of the office of Compline; original editions of Compline plainchant; original translations of all Latin texts; a catalog of important polyphonic settings of the Compline psalms, hymn, antiphons, and selected other chants and texts; and an example concert program for a Compline-centered performance, complete with original performance editions of twelve polyphonic works, including the present edition, "Nunc dimittis" by early Renaissance composer Costanzo Festa (c. 1485-1545).