Our celebration of the Advent season continues today with a lovely setting of The Angel Gabriel performed by children's choir Gondwana Voices, New Zealand hymnwriter Shirley Murray's Look towards Christmas, and People Look East sung by The Linden Singers from Hawkes Bay.
Annunciation - Pontormo (Santa Felicita) Photo: Wikimedia Commons
SONG: COME, THOU REDEEMER OF THE EARTH
Artist: Choir of St James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago, Bruce Barber (dir), Richard Barrick Hoskins (organ)
Words/Music: St Ambrose trans Neale/Anon adapted Praetorius
MSR Classics MS1376
Come, Thou Redeemer of the earth,
And manifest Thy virgin birth:
Let every age adoring fall;
Such birth befits the God of all.
Begotten of no human will,
But of the Spirit, Thou art still
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
The promised Fruit to man displayed.
The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honour all unstained,
The banners there of virtue glow,
God in his temple dwells below.
Forth from His chamber goeth He,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now His course to run.
From God the Father he proceeds,
To God the Father back he speeds,
Runs out his course to death and hell,
Returns on God’s high throne to dwell.
O equal to the Father, Thou!
Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.
Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.
All laud, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whose advent sets thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost for evermore.
SONG: LOOK TOWARDS CHRISTMAS
Artist: New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir
Words/Music: Murray/Bray
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941001
Look towards Christmas! Advent is here:
welcome December, changing the year.
Whistle up, shepherds! Saddle up, kings!
Chorus up angels, flexing your wings.
Refrain:
Sing, sing alleluia!
Sing, sing alleluia!
Sing, sing out the story,
sing about hope and peace.
Set the world singing, make the world glad;
now is good reason not to feel sad!
Hear John the Baptist shout to prepare:
Good News is coming, earth be aware.
Refrain:
Mary and Joseph, soon is the day:
ready the donkey, start on your way.
You are the chosen, willing to trust,
joyful your burden, carrying Christ
Refrain:
SONG: HAIL TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED
Artist: Coventry Singers
Words/Music: Montgomery/Cruger
Recording: Mission Worship 2013
Hail to the Lord’s anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
To take away transgression and rule in equity.
He comes in succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying, were precious in His sight.
To Him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end:
The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;
His Name shall stand forever, His Name to us is Love.
SONG: ON JORDAN’S BANK
Artist: Choir of Newcastle Cathedral, Scott Farrell (dir), Michael Dutton (organ)
Words/Music: Charles Coffin/Anon
Recording: Priory PRCD 720
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings!
Then cleansed be every Christian breast,
and furnished for so great a guest!
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare
for Christ to come and enter there.
For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace our souls must fade,
and wither like a flower decayed.
All praise, eternal Son, to thee
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom, with the Father, we adore,
and Holy Ghost, for evermore.
SONG: PEOPLE LOOK EAST
Artist: The Linden Singers of Hawkes Bay
Words/Music: Farjeon/Trad
Recording: RNZ
People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.
Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.
Angels, announce to man and beast
Him who cometh from the east.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
SONG: LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Choir of Westminster Abbey, James O’Donnell (dir), Robert Quinney (organ)
Words/Music: Anon paraphrased Moultrie/Trad
Recording: Hyperion 712801
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood,
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At his feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, Lord most high!
SONG: ZION HÖRTE DIE WÄCHTER SINGEN (ZION HEARS THE WATCHMEN SINGING)
Artist: Tenors of The Monteverdi Choir, The English Baroque Players, John Eliot Gardiner (dir)
Words/Music: Nicolai/Nicolai, Bach
Recording: Archiv
Zion hört die Wächter singen,
das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen,
sie wachet und steht eilend auf.
Ihr Freund kommt von Himmel prächtig,
von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig,
ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf.
Nun komm, du werte Kron’,
Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn,
Hosianna!
Wir folgen all
zum Freudensaal
und halten mit das Abendmahl.
[Translation:
Zion hears the watchmen singing,
both heart and mind for joy are springing;
she wakens now, stands up with haste.
The loved one comes in heavenly splendour
strong in the power of truth and grace;
her light burns clear, her star ascends.
Now come, Thou worthy crown,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hosanna!
We follow all
to rejoicing’s hall,
partake of the great supper there.]
SONG: GABRIEL’S MESSAGE
Artist: Gondwana Voices, Lyn Williams (dir), Marshall McGuire (harp)
Words/Music: Trad/Trad arr John Raymond Howell
Recording: ABC 472822
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
"For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
"To me be as it pleaseth God," she said,
"my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name."
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say –
"Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
