Without a doubt, the most popular contemporary Christian song about the figure of Mary is “Mary, Did You Know?”
Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene’s 1991 hit now holds a singular place in the canon of Christmas music. It seems like almost every popular singer with a holiday album has covered the song: Carrie Underwood, CeeLo Green, Mary J. Blige, Rascal Flatts, Jessica Simpson, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Patti LaBelle.
The Advent Ballad showcases a singer’s emotional and vocal range, from the quiet notes of the first verse to the climactic bridge that invites a passionately belted delivery. It was also the subject of thoughtful criticism And stupid submissions during the last years.
Why is “Mary, did you know?” » became Mary’s musical avatar in the popular imagination when the setting to music of the words of her canticle (Luke 1:46-55), also known as the Magnificat, offered a glimpse into her inner life and a courageous response to his singular and miraculous encounter. with God?
Mary’s song begins in Luke 1:46-48: “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has considered the humble condition of his servant. » (Magnificat is the first word of the Latin translation, Magnificat anima mea Dominum, “my soul magnifies the Lord.”) The text reflects God’s faithfulness, his dispersion of the wicked and his dethroning of the powerful.
“The Magnificat is all about upending power structures,” said Amy Orr-Ewing, author of Mary’s voice, a new book of reflections on Advent. “The theme of justice is present throughout the Magnificat. »
Mary’s experience and personality often serve to emphasize the mystery, peril, and intimacy of the Incarnation (in songs like “Silent Night” and “What Child Is This?”), but it is difficult to capture the important themes and scope of the Magnificat in a contemporary pop or worship song. Yet, across centuries of Church history, we find a rich body of music that illuminates Mary’s song and elevates her voice rather than presenting her as a secondary character in the Nativity story.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Virgin Mary was a revered intercessor who occupied a powerful place in the Christian imagination. The church produced a vast library of music dedicated to Mary: antiphons, polyphonic motets, mass music settings and hymns.
In post-Reformation Christianity, the importance of Mary in worship has diminished in most Protestant traditions. Martin Luther and other reformers rejected belief in Mary as mediator between God and humanity. According to theologian Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen, “Luther broke with tradition by tearing Mary off all pedestals and showcasing her not as a princess wearing red slippers” and “presenting her boldly as someone very ordinary, not like someone unique.”
Orr-Ewing sees Protestant discomfort or indifference toward Mary as potentially impoverishing. “I wonder if the Protestant fear of Mary means we lose some of the wonder of the Incarnation,” the apologist told CT.
She also suggests that the words of the Magnificat are an antidote to an overly sentimental or bloodless image of Mary, showing us instead “a woman who lives under occupation, who speaks with a hopefulness of defiance.” Meditating and listening to the words of the Magnificat during Advent can direct our attention to the God of miracles and justice.
Large-scale choral and orchestral works like the Magnificats of JS Bach and John Rutter convey the epic scale of the Magnificat’s themes and context. They capture the paradox of Christ’s birth, the blending of God’s power and humanity’s vulnerability. They also express Mary’s multidimensional perspective, rich understanding, and embrace of her role in God’s plan of redemption (rather than asking, “Mary, did you know that?”).
When Rutter composed his multi-movement Magnificat (completed in 1990), he took inspiration from the feasts and festivals of the Virgin Mary celebrated throughout Latin America and Spain. The work expresses wonder, joy and confidence. Rutter supplements the text with verses from the 15th-century English poem “Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose.”
The first movement opens with a jubilant instrumental section featuring trumpets and a vocal entrance from the sopranos and altos, declaring “Magnificat anima mea Dominum.”
The fifth movement, Fecit potentiam (“He showed strength”), begins with a marcato indication – “with strong emphasis” – and an opening section featuring bass voices and varied, powerful rhythms , reflecting Mary’s recognition of a powerful God who is on the side of the lowly and lowly.
Rutter’s Magnificat pays homage to Bach’s setting (composed in 1723), which also features several movements, each with its own affect and character. Bach’s Magnificat was first performed in Leipzig, probably for the Feast of the Visitation of Mary in July, and then later that year for Christmas in a performance including four seasonal hymns interspersed with the original movements.
The work draws attention to themes of power and justice through musical gestures and scores: fanfare motifs accompany a choral fugue in the seventh movement, Fecit potentiam, and descending scale gestures in the eighth movement, Deposuit potentes (“He brought down the mighty”). ), depict the fall of the powerful.
Both Magnificats present musical impressions of calm, victory, serenity, joy and even violence. These settings elevate Mary’s song; it becomes an epic sermon announcing the imminent arrival of the Messiah and its deep meaning for those who walk in darkness.
The choral and orchestral compositions of the Magnificat were relegated to concert halls and a small number of churches with the means and musicians to perform such works. Although not as great in scale, there are a number of contemporary settings of Mary’s song by worship artists and songwriters, each highlighting a different facet of the Magnificat.
Some versions separate the text from the figure of Mary entirely, choosing a particular line of text or theme to highlight and elaborate. Chris Tomlin’s “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” (2009) borrows text from Mary’s song for its chorus, but the rest of the lyrics are either original or taken from other writings and make no mention of Mary:
My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord
My soul magnifies the Lord
He did great things for me
Big things for me
The song is singable, inviting the congregation to join in Mary’s refrain: “My soul magnifies the Lord”, without directly referring to her.
Keith and Kristyn Getty’s “Magnificat” (2011) adapts the text of Mary’s song, preserving her point of view in an ethereal, strophic song without a chorus, preceded by a choral arrangement of the Wexford Carol (a traditional Irish song) and followed by a gripping string interlude. It is not a congregational song, but it incorporates several of the major themes of the full text of the Magnificat:
My soul will magnify the Lord;
I rejoice in God my Savior,
In wonder at his favor.
For he has done great things for me;
He remembered his servant.
Every age will call me blessed.
Abraham’s hope is coming
In the gift of a Son;
For He who promised is mighty
Remembering his mercy.
Allie Crummy, an Iowa-based singer-songwriter and worship leader, completed and released a version of the Magnificat in November after years of contemplating how to adapt the text.
“It’s one of the first presentations of the gospel,” Crummy said. “I love hearing how Mary reacts to the news. His answer is: “Yes, the mighty will be overthrown!” » The Gospel is good news for the poor and the humble.
“Lift Up the Lowly” mixes the text of Mary’s song with original lyrics, bringing out the theme of God’s concern for the humble. She sings:
O strength of God, scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts
O power of God, overthrow the mighty from their thrones
O strength of God, lift up the humble
The rich text of the Magnificat can be a source of hope, comfort and joy. In Mary’s Voice, Orr-Ewing tells the story of his encounter with Mary’s words while sitting in a cathedral for an evening singing service, through Henry Purcell’s four-part Choral Magnificat (17th century). century) :
I had spent that day sitting in the public gallery of a courtroom supporting someone who was testifying in a criminal trial regarding childhood abuse. Mary’s words expressing hope on behalf of the poor, the humble and the helpless seemed particularly meaningful that evening, following the horrors of trauma recounted in that courtroom. Until now, Mary was a somewhat distant figure to me. A woman often depicted wearing blue clothing in paintings, idealized as the perfect mother of a cherubic baby.
Mary’s voice embodies the hopeful joy in waiting, even in suffering. The words “My soul magnifies the Lord” take on a new and deeper meaning because of the figure of Mary, a vulnerable and oppressed Jewish teenager charged with carrying the Messiah.
“We live in a period between the first and second arrival of Christ,” Orr-Ewing said. “We journey and invite God into our journey in light of these two arrivals. This is where Mary travels, waiting.
