The magnificat

The Magnificat, the song which, according to the Gospel of Luke, Mary sings to Elizabeth, is a mainstay in the liturgies of both the Eastern and Western churches. In this remarkable new book, distinguished educator and scholar Samuel Terrien probes the depths of this poem by a lucid discussion of both recent biblical scholarship and the power of religious music, and then illuminates the text through selected musical excerpts from the greatest compositions of the last six centuries.