A Christmas Gift for You from Notre Dame’s Magnificat Choir

The Magnificat Choir proclaims the glory of God through prayerful song and strives to draw people closer to Christ with its ministry. The  choir celebrates and builds upon the rich musical traditions of the Church, uplifts women’s voices, and serves the community as the hands and feet of Christ. As a diverse group of singers, the ensemble reflects the Notre Dame family by fostering a spirit of community that creates lifelong friendships. 

As Christmas is celebrated the world over, Notre Dame’s Magnificat Choir humbly offers you the gift of voices lifted high in praise from their newest album released in November 2024 entitled Magnificat (Signum Records). Listen in to these special hymns highlighting the prayers, words, and music of women, as well as composers from the University of Notre Dame.

With this album, we seek to magnify the light of Christ through prayer, meditation, and song. As Mary’s “yes” brought light into the world, we pray she may serve as our example.

The album begins with Kartika Putri’s simple yet apt “Chorister’s Prayer,” which the choir prays to begin every rehearsal as we strive to make real the words that we sing. Next is a Bernadette Farrel’s, “O God, You Search Me,” reminding us that before we even speak our prayers, God knows our thoughts and discerns our purpose. In Kola Owolabi’s “Prayer of St. Francis,” we once again pray to put our beliefs into action, and to make God’s light visible in the world.

The next few songs encompass Marian themes, beginning with Emily Mason’s “Meditabor,” about meditating on the commands of God, which reminds us of how Mary always pondered God’s words in her heart. Following Susan Powell’s stunning setting of the “Hail Mary” is “Hanacpachap Cussicuinin,” a traditional Peruvian hymn to Mary, which would have been sung in religious processions in Peru.

Next is “O Pastor Animarum,” a chant by St. Hildegard, the patron saint of our choir. As Mary’s “yes” brought light into the world, we pray she may serve as our example, that we may also allow God’s light to shine into the world’s darkness though us. Kathleen Thomerson’s “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” similarly expresses the desire to walk in God’s light. Our album ends with some of our most beautiful and grand arrangements. Brenda Portman’s “Laudate Dominum” is a sweeping anthem in praise of God, and our version of the “Magnificat” is a world-premiere setting of Mary’s song which inspired the name of our choir.