This is another hymn for Advent. The text is Martin Luther’s adaptation of St Ambrose’s text, Veni Redemptor gentium. The translation is by William Reynolds, but the text in CWB II has a different translation from halfway through verse 3 by Martin Seltz.
“Prepare the Way, O Zion” is another fairly ancient Advent hymn from a text by Frans Mikael Franzén. CWB II uses the translation by Charles P. Price, which was itself an adaption of the translation by Augustus Nelson. The tune in BEREDEN VAG FOR HERRAN, a seventeenth century Swedish tune, which I have also seen called MESSIAH.
I like this tune a lot for its invention and uplifting nature.
That didn’t stop me from cribbing the chords from the MIDI file on Hymnary and attacking it with fake BIAB organ.
This is the same music as CWB II with the original “Nelson” translation. (NB the first line of the melody is repeated – does that it make it the blues?)
Since I use this blog myself to search for suggestions from three years ago, I’ll catch up with the local suggestions for liturgical music from when I was away, so that in three years time I’ll know what we used now. I think that makes sense.
Entrance: All Are Welcome (Haugen)
Psalm 125 (McKenna)
The Lord has done great things.
Gifts: Open My Eyes (Manibusan) AOV 1/166
Communion: We Remember (Haugen) AOV 1/81
Thanksgiving: Holy Darkness (Schutte) AOV 2/24
Recessional: All the Ends of the Earth (Dufford) AOV 1/76
Just when it appears there is nothing but traditional hymns for Advent, CWB II drops this Michael Mangan bombshell. Admittedly it is twenty-three years old already but it was not originally written in Latin so that is a point of difference.
If you don’t want to get CWB II this is available in the useful collection This is the Time. You can purchase that collection with lots of other songs covering the seasons and festivals of the Church at Litmus. It is also available as a single sheet at sheetmusicplus.
The text comes from his site where he has kindly put up the lyrics.
O EMMANUEL
words & music: Michael Mangan
O Emmanuel,
Come into our hearts.
O Emmanuel,
We’re waiting for your light.
O Emmanuel,
God is with us now,
O Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
1. We your people are waiting for you, Lord,
Waiting all throughout the earth.
We your people are waiting for you, Lord,
Waiting to celebrate your birth.
2. We your people are longing for you, Lord,
Longing with hope and with joy.
We your people are longing for you, Lord,
Longing for the sign to rejoice.
3. We your people are ready for you, Lord,
Ready to change and repent.
We your people are ready for you, Lord,
Ready for you to come again.
This is another traditional hymn for Advent. The text is by Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin (1663-1745), translated by Sister Mary of St Philip in 1877. The tune is VENEZ DIVIN MESSIE a sixteenth century French tune that is a 6/8 carol in the public domain.
I got the chords from OCP (GAB 346). The text in CWB II reverses “show your face” and “dispel the night” in the prechorus, an alteration that does not appear in any of the page scans in Hymnary nor any lyrics on line so I wonder if it was misremembered.
This is the tune from OCP.
This is the tune from CWB II without the octave leap at “hope” in the chorus.
I guess if I persist with CWBII I’m going to get an education in the more traditional side of catholic hymnody.
This fine Advent song is a nineteenth century translation by Edward Caswall of a ? fifth to ninth century Latin text, Vox clara ecce intonat. It is set to MERTON by William Henry Monk (also nineteenth century).
There are minor variations in the text between versions — CWBII has “see” for “lo”, and “herald” for “thrilling” but otherwise the version from Hymnary below is pretty much the same as in CWBII with an amen added.
I followed ChrisW’s reminder to check Together in Song for the chords for these traditional hymns and there they were for this one.
I cranked up the old BIAB fake organ for this backing.
(in Gather Australia 280 but better set out in CWBII and with chords!)
This is another traditional song for Advent from CWBII. The text is from 1671 based on Isaiah 40:1-5 was written by Johannes G. Olearius and translated into English by Catherine Winkworth in 1863.
The tune is FREU DICH SEHR/ GENEVAN 42, written by Louis Bourgeois in 1551. The words and tune are public domain. The tune is basically 6/4 with some 4/4 bars in the middle. The version I have in Worship puts in barlines for people like me who struggle without them. Apart from having no chords the sheet music in CWB is identical to the version from Hymnary below.
Oh dear my version is much too slow, this is much better.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.