Editing Nunc dimittis (section)

==Liturgical and musical settings==
[[File:St. Albans - Fenster Nunc dimittis.jpg|thumb|Stained-glass window in [[St. Alban's Church, Copenhagen|St. Alban's Anglican Church]] in [[Copenhagen]], Denmark, depicting the "Nunc dimittis" scene]]

The ''Nunc Dimittis'' is the traditional "Gospel Canticle" of Night Prayer ([[Compline]]), just as ''[[Benedictus (canticle)|Benedictus]]'' and ''[[Magnificat]]'' are the traditional Gospel Canticles of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, respectively.<ref name=Henry/> The Nunc Dimittis is found in the liturgical night office of many western denominations, including [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] [[Evensong]] in the [[Book of Common Prayer (1662)|1662 ''Book of Common Prayer'']], Compline (A Late Evening Service) in the [[Book of Common Prayer (1928, England)|1928 ''Book of Common Prayer'']], and the Night Prayer service in the [[Common Worship]]. Both the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and [[Lutheran]] services of Compline include this canticle. In eastern tradition the canticle is included in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] [[Vespers]]. 

In many Lutheran orders of service, the ''Nunc Dimittis'' may be sung following the reception of the [[Eucharist]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Lutheran Service Book |title-link=Lutheran Service Book |date=2005 |publisher=Concordia Publishing House}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelical Lutheran Worship |title-link=Evangelical Lutheran Worship |date=2006 |publisher=Augsburg Fortress}}</ref> A 1530 rhymed version by {{ill|Johannes Anglicus|de}}, "[[Im Frieden dein, o Herre mein]]", with a melody by [[Wolfgang Dachstein]], was written in Strasbourg for that purpose.<ref>{{cite book |last=Marti |first=Andreas |title=Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch |publisher=[[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-3-64-750302-8 |editor-last=Herbst |editor-first=Wolfgang |pages=8–13 |language=de |chapter=222 Im Frieden dein, oh Herre mein |editor2-last=Alpermann |editor2-first=Ilsabe |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azrFSCtv0jMC&pg=PA8 |issue=16}}</ref> [[Heinrich Schütz]] wrote at least two settings, one in [[Musikalische Exequien]] (1636), the other in [[List of compositions by Heinrich Schütz#Symphoniae sacrae II|Symphoniae sacrae II]] (1647). The feast day ''Mariae Reinigung'' was observed in the Lutheran Church in [[J. S. Bach]]'s time. He composed several cantatas for the occasion, including [[Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125|''Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin'', BWV 125]], a chorale cantata on [[Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin|Martin Luther's paraphrase of the canticle]], and [[Ich habe genug, BWV 82|''Ich habe genug'', BWV 82]].

Many composers have set the text to music, usually coupled in the Anglican church with the [[Magnificat]], as both the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis are sung (or said) during the Anglican service of [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|Evening Prayer]] according to the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. This prayer book merged the older offices of Vespers (Evening Prayer) and Compline (Night Prayer) into one service, which contained both Gospel canticles. In Common Worship, this is listed among "Canticles for Use at Funeral and Memorial Services"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/pastoral/funeral/canticles.aspx|title=The Church of England - Common Worship - Canticles for Use at Funeral and Memorial Services|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929045020/https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/pastoral/funeral/canticles.aspx|archive-date=29 September 2017}}</ref> One of the most well-known [[List of English settings of Magnificats and Nunc dimittis|settings in England]] is a [[Plainsong|plainchant]] theme by [[Thomas Tallis]]. Herbert Howells composed 20 settings of this pair of canticles, including the [[Gloucester Service]] (1947) and the [[St Paul's Service]] (1951). A setting of the Nunc dimittis by [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] was sung as the [[Recessional hymn|recessional]] at the [[Death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher#Funeral|funeral of Margaret Thatcher]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Margaret Thatcher: the funeral Order of Service|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9992142/Margaret-Thatcher-the-funeral-Order-of-Service.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9992142/Margaret-Thatcher-the-funeral-Order-of-Service.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=Telegraph|date=17 April 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Stanford wrote many settings of both the ''Magnificat'' and ''Nunc dimittis''.<ref>[http://amp2.sharp-stream.com/amp2/client.php?client_id=8&show_id=5319 ''Nunc dimittis'', sung by the choir of King's College, Cambridge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129055538/http://amp2.sharp-stream.com/amp2/client.php?client_id=8&show_id=5319 |date=2014-11-29 }} (1 Nov 2014)</ref>

The [[Genevan Psalter]] used by [[Reformed Christianity|Calvinist]] churches also included the metrical versification for ''Nunc Dimittis''. The music was composed by [[Louis Bourgeois (composer)|Louis Bourgeois]] and the lyrics were versified from the biblical text by [[Clément Marot]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schuler |first=Duck |title=The History of the Genevan Psalter |url=https://genevanpsalter.com/files/articles/Gen_Psal_intro_Schuler.pdf |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=21 October 2024 |website=The Genevan Psalter}}</ref>

A setting by British composer [[Geoffrey Burgon]] is featured during the end credits of episodes in the 1979 television adaptation of [[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV series)|''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'']].

[[Sergei Rachmaninoff]] wrote a setting of the Slavonic ''Nunc dimittis'' text, Ны́не отпуща́еши (''Nyne otpushchayeshi''), as the fifth movement of his ''[[All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff)|All-Night Vigil]].'' It is known for its final measures, in which the basses sing a descending scale ending on the B♭ below the bass clef.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/rachmaninov-vespers-4|title=Rachmaninov Vespers|last=Warrack|first=John|date=2013-01-09|website=www.gramophone.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-28}}</ref>

The neoclassical electronic music group [[Mannheim Steamroller]] used the text of ''Nunc Dimittis'' in the song "Lumen" on their album [[Fresh Aire V]], that was otherwise based on [[Johannes Kepler]]'s novel [[Somnium (novel)|Somnium]].