Benedictus

Paul Lisney

The Benedictus was the song of thanksgiving uttered by Zechariah on the occasion of the circumcision of his son, John the Baptist. The canticle received its name from its first words in Latin (Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”).

My intention was for this to sound something like a Gregorian chant though I have it in three part harmony. I recorded it in October of 2016.

Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to His people and sent them free. /

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of His servant David. /

Through His holy prophets He promised of old that He would save us from our enemies.
from the hands of all who hate us. /

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant. /

This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship Him without fear,
holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our life. /

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
to give His people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. /

In the tender compassion of our God,
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. /

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen