Advent music ideas

  • Thread starter Thread starter VAC
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

VAC

Guest
What are the best Advent songs out there that best describe the seasons meaning and draw people into changing their ways and preparing their hearts for His coming???
(‘O come O come Emmanuel’ is a given)
What other songs embody the season that people will recognize and sing along with?

I’ll play the same songs I played last year, unless you folks give me some really good ideas:D 😃
 
I like Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent. I’m pretty sure it can be used as an Advent song, but not sure.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry

wow, while searching for song titles I found this!
canticanova.com/planning/year-c/p_advt_c.htm
I wish I had had this when I was teaching/leading a choir. What a wonderful resource of traditional music.

I’m having trouble thinking of any more songs right now, though 😉

Jennifer
 
Other Advent hymns include

The King of Glory
Rorate Caeli
Hark the Herald’s Voice Resounding
On Jordan’s Bank
The Coming of Our God
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Wake, Awake for Night is Flying
Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending
Conditor Alme Siderum
 
People probably won’t recognize this hymn, but it is one of the most beautiful combinations of text and tune available. It’s well worth learning, really.

Lo, He comes with clouds descending. (I don’t have speakers on my computer, so I don’t know what you’ll hear when you listen to this, quality-wise, but it will give you an idea of the gorgeous melody, I’m sure.)

Betsy
 
All of those songs mentioned so far are good ones. Just PLEASE don’t do what some parishes do and play the same song (i.e. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) every Sunday. There are so many good, traditional Advent songs that can also be used.
 
The Church has been singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel for nearly 11 centuries. It is the oldest Advent Hymn and deserves a place of prominence.

When I used to plan liturgies for Advent, our entrance hymn for all four Sundays was O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Our recessional hymn (which we used for Christ the King Sunday) was The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (Mourningsong Melody) for the First Sunday of Advent. This particular hymn works very well as the recessional for both Christ the KIng Sunday and the first Sunday of Advent because of their strong eschatological themes. On Jordan’s Bank was the recessional hymn for the second and third Sundays and “Lift Up Your Head, O Mighty Gates” was for the fourth Sunday and the entrance hymn for Christmas Eve.

For the Preparation (Offertory), we used Creator of the Stars of Night and something from GIA called For You O Lord, My Soul in Stillness waits. Another beautiful one is Hills of tne North rejoice. For Communion, we used Love’s Divine, All Love’s Excelling and “Draw Near”.

We never used King of Glory in any instance because it just wasn’t suited for Advent. As much as I personally dislike this 70s hymn (that sounds more like something from Fiddler on the Roof), the text was more indicative of Palm Sunday than anything else.
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
All of those songs mentioned so far are good ones. Just PLEASE don’t do what some parishes do and play the same song (i.e. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) every Sunday. There are so many good, traditional Advent songs that can also be used.
Click to expand...
Actually, as someone else said, it is TOTALLY appropriate to use O Come O Come Emmanuel for all of Advent 🙂 and it’s beautiful.

Jennifer
 
One of my favorites has always been “People Look East”
Sadly it is rarely heard in my parish. There are so many beautiful hymns and Advent is such a short season to get to enjoy them all!🙂
-E
 
Thanks, guys…
I like to use ‘The King of Glory comes’ for Christ the King and Palm Sunday… not really advent.
I do plan to sing *‘O come o come Emmanuel’ *every week of Advent.:eek:
I’m also thinking of *‘My soul in stillness waits’ *very frequently as well.
I really like ‘The King shall come’ and I’m considering where to put it.

As for ‘The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came’, I really like this song also, but because it has a verse about Christ being born, I wasn’t sure it was OK for Advent… I hope someone who knows more will set me straight. Also, another criticism I’ve heard of that song is the translation/ useage of ‘most highly favored lady’ instead of ‘full of grace’ as being unCatholic. Again, please set me straight on this one.

Betsy, that song you suggested has a nice melody and not to much archaic language (for my children’s choir), but it has so many references to the crucifixion, that I’m not sure it goes in Advent. Last year when I tried to use songs about repentance and turning to God, I was told to save them for Lent.(By someone in charge of all the choirs, who I’m not convinced knows more than I do)

I’m going to check out these other suggestions that I’m not familiar with. Thanks for all your responses.🙂
 
Actually, the BCL (Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy) came down hard on those who were doing away with archaic language because when they retranslated “Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”, they butchered one verse and threw out the original litugical meaning. It is also good to teach kids the archaic language so that they can have a better sense of the mystery.

Having also planned music for children’s choirs, I can tell you they had no issues with the archaic language found in the original translation of “Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” They also enjoyed singing Creator of the Stars of Night because the melody was faily easy for them to learn. We found that simple Gregorian pieces (with English translations, of course) were a lot easier for both children and adults because the notes were not very complicated.

They also did very well with “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns” and “On Jordan’s Bank”, and, of course, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
 
I think the song “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came” is a Marian hymn for the Feast of the Annunciation

Here’s what I found online. Who knows if it’s 100% correct, though. The midi tune they have is different than the one I know, but it’s probably more correct, lol. I’d have to do more digging in my references here (I used to teach music and have a degree–not been used for awhile, though, as I’m a sahm now)
hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/angelus_ad_virginem.htm

Hope that helps.

Jennifer
 
VAC said:
Betsy, that song you suggested has a nice melody and not to much archaic language (for my children’s choir), but it has so many references to the crucifixion, that I’m not sure it goes in Advent. Last year when I tried to use songs about repentance and turning to God, I was told to save them for Lent.(By someone in charge of all the choirs, who I’m not convinced knows more than I do)
Click to expand...
This hymn is about the second coming of Christ, an aspect of Advent we often overlook. We sing it on the first Sunday of Advent, when the Feast of Christ the King is still in memory, and it’s very appropriate. I’ve never heard it done at any other time.

Betsy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top