French overture
(For he [that is mighty] hath done to me great things), concentrates on two ideas from the canticle verse. Marked "Andante maestoso", the choral movement in D major opens with solemn dotted rhythms, features of the French overture. A motiv of four measures is repeated three times, interrupted by fanfares. Then it is repeated five times, beginning with only the basses, marked piano, adding the motif in a higher part each time, with two sopranos, and increasing volume and intensity.