This is an Advent carol in 6/8 time with a text by Eleanor Farjeon and set to BESANÇON.
Looking to the east means New Zealand here, so I’m stuck with a metaphorical liturgical east. The text makes sense in the Northern Hemisphere and none at all in the Southern.
The text and commentary are available here. The sheet music is in various hymnals – I have it in Worship 359.
Being a French carol I could use a French waltz style in BIAB.
I have never blogged this Frank Andersen song based on Luke 1:46-55 that was sung at Emma’s parish recently.
The text is here (last page) and the sheet music is available in the collection Scripture in Song (details here).
I listened to the original recording of the song at Spotify of all places.
RS’s parish use this Hillsong by Reuben Morgan. I detect a whiff of Queen’s “We Are the Champions”.
The text is here and the sheet music is available to purchase on the web including at musicnotes.
My backing is from a parallel universe where they play fiddle at Hillsong.
Ryan’s parish used this gathering song for Advent with a text by Gabe Huck and music adapted and enlarged by Tony Alonso based on VENI, VENI EMMANUEL.
I was a little scornful of some Christmas songs I blogged that just added a little new material and copyrighted the lot, but here there is a lot of new text and liturgical usefulness as well as a nice tune running in counterpoint to the familiar melody.
You can purchase the sheet music at GIA where most of the lyrics are in the preview. You can hear a snippet there as well.
I fudged the rest by listening to the song on Spotify so it may be a bit approximate.
I know – that was last week (Dec 8th) – and it’s not even a holy day of obligation in Australia. It is, however, in the US, and some parish selections were posted here.
As a late onset Catholic, I find Mary songs fascinating, having being brought up to believe they are evidence of idolatry and popery. It had appeared to me that Marian devotion was on the wane, maybe no longer the case, and I worry the Marian hymns are of their era – dated and overly sentimental. I am using the suggestions posted here as an education to broaden my appreciation of the full extent of Catholic culture.
Mary’s Song
This song by Mildred F. Reith is not that old (1977) and is a paraphrase of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.
My backing lacks a light enough touch:
Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above
This is much older as is a translation of Salve Regina by Hermannus Contractus (eleventh century) set to SALVE REGINA COELITUM.
Hymnary have the text and sheet music.
This hymn was rewritten by David Haas as Hail, Holy Mary, Queen of Peace, which can be purchased at GIA. I found the text on a fascinatingly snarky and nasty blog post from 2010. I may have mentioned before that now that I am over sensitive to caffeine and cannot drink real coffee, I have been known to resort to right wing catholic blog outrage to wake me up.
Sing of Mary, Pure and Lowly
Written by Roland Ford Palmer and back in the twentieth century, this is set to PLEADING SAVIOUR (nineteenth century). Hymnary again have details on this song. The text is here but I note some minor variations.
Sing We of the Blessed Mother
This is also a song from the twentieth century – so they aren’t all ancient after all – and is by George B. Timms. The tune is OMNE DEI which is also used for Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary. Hymnary are once again helpful with background details. The text is here. My copy is in Worship 714.
Entrance: Advent Song (Browne – Wood) GA 281
Wreath: Christ Circle Round Us (Schutte)
Psalm: To You O God I Lift Up My Soul (Hurd) AOV 2/14
Gifts: Gentle Woman (Landry)
Communion: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Neale) AOV 1/174
Come to the Table (Burland) AOV NG 33
Thanksgiving: The Whole World Is Waiting For Love (Sr Marianne Misetich) AOV 2/141
Recessional: Into the Darkness (Dawn) from “Songs of Fellowship” Book Five (No 70)
I’ve been introduced to a plethora of Advent songs in many genres from the lovely people who have been sharing the songs sung in their parishes.
This song is by Bob Hurd is very singable and suited to guitar, which helps me a lot.
The text and a sound file to stream are here and the sheet music may be purchased at OCP.
Emma’s parish can sing “Veni Jesu”, which I suspect is the one by Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) so I though I’d unleash BIAB on another chant vehicle.
Here is the sheet music I used. If you like your advent hymns in Latin and have some high voices about then this may be what you are looking for.
For my hamfisted backing I entered the accompaniment, made it into a MIDI file and then fed that file back into BIAB to get the chords and added the melody line.
These are much better, as is I’m sure Emma’s choir:
Ming’s parish used this chant by Adam Gumpelzhaimer recently and while BIAB can’t do chant very well I looked it up.
A version of the sheet music is here and I made a backing nonetheless. It’s just the two lines of the canon.
You can stream another version here. A MIDI file can be downloaded here.
This is an Advent song from Carey Landry being used at RS’s parish. The verses use ideas from the O antiphons and you could pick and choose between the verses looking for themes for each week of Advent. It is a delicate song that looks like it needs to played with a light touch.
The text is at spiritandsong and the sheet music can be purchased at OCP.
