Song of Simeon is written for solo bass, chorus and string orchestra with flute, clarinet, harp and tubular bells.

My inspiration for Song of Simeon comes from an exploration of an alternative setting of the familiar Nunc Dimitis. I wanted to explore the biblical origins of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple and the resulting Canticle of Simeon from The Gospel of Luke chapter 2, verses 29-32 and its relationship with relevant text from the prophecies of Isaiah.

The bass solo sings the text of Simeon while the chorus sing the related prophecies of Isaiah. Song of Simeon has a simple beginning which develops into two themes. The first is an ascending diatonic scale from E to E. The second is a descending semitone pattern from G to C. This is repeated until both themes end on the note E. Following this, the momentum changes into a middle section at the words ‘to be a light’ ending with an extended ‘Amen’ of praise echoing and developing the first ‘Amen’ from the beginning.