Friday, November 27, 2020

Music for Anywhere Worship: Sunday, November 29, 2020 (First Sunday of Advent)






Welcome to the season of Advent on Notes of Glory! 

For the next four weeks we'll be anticipating the joy of the celebration of Jesus's birth and singing songs reflecting a spirit of expectancy and hope.

May the music, Scripture, stories and images shared here help you to draw closer to the Lord during this special time of year. In lieu of gathering together to sing wonderful music during this festive season as we usually do, my hope is that you are able to sing these beautiful songs with joy in your own home, with your family, using the resources provided here.  

To learn more about this time of waiting and reflecting on the gift of Jesus to the world, you may enjoy reading this fantastic article on Advent from the Desiring God website.
 


If you are a first-time visitor,  click here to find out the story behind "Notes of Glory" (helping you to SING and worship musically wherever you are)!

Here's an alphabetical list of all  "Notes of Glory" music with links so that you can revisit your favorite hymns/songs. 

Complete "Notes of Glory" Song List

TO LISTEN TO MUSIC

Look for the SoundCloud audio player window found below the information provided for each song.  Click on the white arrow in the orange circle.


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PRELUDE
(to help you enter into a spirit of worship)

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
5th Century hymn from the Liturgy of St. James, paraphrased by Gerard Moultrie. "Picardy" traditional French tune. Solo piano arrangement by Lloyd Larson.

Habakkuk 2:20
But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.

Zechariah 2:13
Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Luke 22:19-20
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Isaiah 6:2-3
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
____________________

There are a number of Advent hymns that date to the early Christian era, and "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" is one of of these.  It may have been written as early as 347 A.D. as as part of the Liturgy of St. James which is believed to have originated from the Jerusalem ministry of the apostle James. "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" would originally have been spoken or chanted in Greek prior to the Eucharist during the service of the Mass. In 1864, the Greek text was versified by Anglican teacher and hymn writer Gerard Moultrie (1829-1885), based on a translation by British scholar John Mason Neale (1818-1866) and published in a collection of communion hymns. British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was the first to match the traditional French tune from the Picardy region with Moutrie's text in The English Hymnal (1906). The chant-like minor key melody beautifully echoes the sense of wonder and awe in the text which poetically describes the Incarnation. 


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 heav'nly 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 pow'rs of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry,
"Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia, Lord Most High!"


HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING ANYWHERE
(transposed to easily singable keys!)

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

The Poissy Antiphonal, folio 30v
The Poissy Antiphonal. Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


 


Medieval Latin hymn. Verses 1-2 translated by John Mason Neale, Verses 3-4 translated by Henry Sloane Coffin. "Veni Emmanuel" plainchant tune, adapted by Thomas Helmore. 

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:2
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.

1 Corinthians 1:30
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Haggai 2:7
I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.
____________________

The beloved Advent hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is full of a sense of longing and expectation, and like "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," it also has a long history, dating back to church liturgy in the 8th or 9th century. The hymn we sing today was derived from the "Great (O) Antiphons" in which each verse begins with the word "O/Oh." These antiphons (responsive verses) were chanted or recited in Latin during vespers services in the last week of Advent, in anticipation of the reading of Luke 1:45-56 (the song of Mary, or "Magnificat") on Christmas Eve. Each verse names Christ by a different Biblical title: Wisdom, Adonai, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Dayspring or Radiant Dawn, King of Nations (or of the Gentiles), Emmanuel, taking us on a tour of Biblical Messianic prophecy. 

The antiphons' journey to becoming a modern hymn sung in the English language is long and complex (you can read a wonderful article about that here, at Hymnology Archive). Most contemporary versions are based on the 1851 translation and adaption by Anglican priest, scholar and hymnwriter John Mason Neale (1818-1866), including the arrangement shown below using four of the antiphons, which also incorporates a 1906 translation by Henry Sloan Coffin (1877–1954). Coffin was a well-known American Presbyterian minister who was also president of Union Theological Seminary from 1926-1945. The plaintive melody in Dorian mode for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" ("Veni Emmanuel") also has a somewhat complicated history, but it is known to be of French origin and most likely dates to the 15th century. 

Here is an article by John Piper that delves more deeply into the history and significance of this hymn.  If this hymn is new to you, you might enjoy this lovely rendition by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, from their 2016 Christmas celebration, "Carols from King's."

Public domain. Courtesy of PDhymns.com





O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. [Refrain]

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
and order all things, far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and cause us in her ways to go. [Refrain]

O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
bid envy, strife, and discord cease;
fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. [Refrain]

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus




Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Rowland S. Prichard

Luke 2:25
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;

Galatians 4:4-5
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
____________________

Continuing with our Advent theme of expectancy and hope, "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" reminds us of Christ's majesty and the sufficiency of His grace. It was written in 1744 by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), whose powerful hymns have been frequently featured here on Notes of Glory. Wesley was contemplating the desperate conditions of orphans at the time and the social and class divide in Great Britain and reflected on Haggai 2:7, "I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty." Wesley wrote a prayer to express his thoughts: "Born Your people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now Your gracious kingdom bring. By Your own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone; by Your all sufficient merit, raise us to Your glorious throne. Amen."  Using this expressive prayer as a starting point, Wesley wrote the hymn "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," which was included in his publication  Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord (1745), one of four hymn collections for the festivals of the Christian year: other booklets in this series included Resurrection Hymns (1746), Ascension Hymns (1746), and Whitsunday Hymns (1746). "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" was sung to various tunes when first published: today in America it is commonly sung to "Hyfrydol" by Rowland Prichard (1811-1887). You can read more about the history of this hymn and see early published versions here. 

Famed British preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) increased the popularity of "Come Thou, Long Expected Jesus" when he mentioned verses from Wesley's hymn in his December 23, 1855 sermon titled, "The Incarnation and Birth of Christ." 

This brings us to the third point: WHAT DID JESUS COME FOR? He came to be "ruler in Israel." A very singular thing is this, that Jesus Christ was said to have been "born the king of the Jews." Very few have ever been "born king." Men are born princes, but they are seldom born kings. I do not think you can find an instance in history where any infant was born king. He was the prince of Wales, perhaps, and he had to wait a number of years, till his father died, and then they manufactured him into a king, by putting a crown on his head; and a sacred chrism, and other silly things; but he was not born a king. I remember no one who was born a king except Jesus; and there is emphatic meaning in that verse that we sing

"Born thy people to deliver;
Born a child, and yet a king."

The moment that he came on earth he was a king. He did not wait till his majority that he might take his empire; but as soon as his eye greeted the sunshine he was a king; from the moment that his little hands grasped anything, they grasped a sceptre, as soon as his pulse beat, and his blood began to flow, his heart beat royally, and his pulse beat an imperial measure, and his blood flowed in a kingly current. He was born a king. 

If this hymn is new to you, you might enjoy hearing this solo version featuring Fernando Ortega, this arrangement with the St. Olaf choir and orchestra, and this version by Keith and Kristyn Getty.  

Public domain. Courtesy of hymnary.org




Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Of the Father's Love Begotten




Words by  Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, Translated by H. W. Baker and John Mason Neale. Music: "Divinum Mysterium" Plainsong

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
_________________

Written by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348-413), a Roman poet born in Northern Spain, "Of the Father's Love Begotten" ("Corde Natus Ex Parentis") was a direct response to the early 4th century controversy over the nature of the Trinity. Prudentius was considered to be the greatest Christian poet of his era, and composed Liber Cathemerinon (c. 405), which consists of twelve devotional poems in Latin, six of which were intended for daily use and six for use during special feasts.  (You can read all 12 poems translated into English here).  

British Anglican scholar John Mason Neale (who we've already encountered twice today as translator of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel") translated and adapted Prudentius's Latin poem in 1851. In 1859 Neale's English translation was further adapted by by English hymn writer Henry W. Baker (1821-1877) and was then published in Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861. The melody for "Of the Father's Love Begotten" is a plainchant melody, "Divinum Mysterium," which first appeared in manuscript form in the 10th century and was published in a Finnish songbook, Piae Cantiones, in 1582. Although the marriage of text and music in "Of the Father's Love Begotten" feels timeless and natural to our modern ears, in reality "Divinum Mysterium" was not paired with Prudentius's lyrics, translated into English, until the 1850s.

Throughout the hymn, the eternal nature of the Trinity is emphasized, with a jubilant Doxology in the final verse. If Prudentius was trying to make a strong point about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being Three in One in an era when there was a swirl of controversy on this topic (decisively resolved at the First Council of Nicea in 325), he did so with beauty and clarity here.  If this hymn is new to you, here is a video of the congregation, choirs and orchestra of Peterborogh Catherdral (in Cambridgeshire) singing "Of the Father's Love Begotten" by candlelight, and  here is a version (with a lovely extended organ introduction) by the National Lutheran Choir. 

Public Domain. Courtesy of Hymnary.org



Of the Father's love begotten
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore.

Oh, that birth forever blessed,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bore the Savior of our race,
and the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore.

Let the heights of heav'n' adore him;
angel hosts, his praises sing;
pow'rs, dominions, bow before him
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
ev'ry voice in concert ring
evermore and evermore.

Christ, to thee, with God the Father,
and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
and unwearied praises be:
honor, glory, and dominion,
and eternal victory
evermore and evermore! Amen.

POSTLUDE
(to send you forth with joy!)

On This Day Earth Shall Sing 






"Personent Hodie" medieval carol, English translation by Jane M. Joseph, additional English lyrics, "Long Ago, Prophets Knew" by Fred Pratt Green. Solo piano arrangement by Larry Shackley. 

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
____________________

As we conclude today's musical post for the first Sunday of Advent, one more carol that dates back hundreds of years seems appropriate to include, given the theme that has emerged of Christians through the ages evoking the Incarnation through poetry and music. As we sing these songs that remind us of the longing of the Israelites for their promised Messiah, we also remember with joy that Jesus did indeed come to earth to save us from our sins, and we eagerly anticipate his triumphant second coming. 

Piae Cantiones, the 1582 Finnish song book that held the tune for "Of the Father's Love Begotten" also contained the song "Personent Hodie" among other medieval songs with Latin texts.  (You can see what this version looked like in the image above).  The first verse of the text, literally translated, begins:

Let resound today
the voices of children,
joyfully praising
Him who is born to us,
given by most high God,
and conceived in a virginal womb.

John Mason Neale (our translator for today!) translated "Personent Hodie" into English in 1854, and the first verse reads as follows:

Let the song be begun
For the battle is done,
And the vict'ry won:
And the foe is scatt'd,
And the prison shatter'd
Sing of joy, joy, joy
Sing of joy, joy;
And today raise the lay,
Gloria in Excelsis
Gloria in Excelsis,
in Excelsis

A 1924 translation by English composer, arranger and music teacher Jane M. Joseph (1894–1929) begins: 

On this day earth shall ring
with the song children sing
to the Lord, Christ our King,
born on earth to save us;
him the Father gave us.
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o,
Id-e-o gloria in excelsis Deo!

You are free to envision any of these texts as you listen to this dramatic piano postlude, an arrangement of "Personent Hodie" by contemporary composer and arranger Larry Shackley. On a personal note, as I play this arrangement my mind reflects on another set of lyrics written to match the "Personent Hodie" tune by British minister and hymn writer Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) in 1971. "Long Ago, Prophets Knew" (lyrics are shown below) has been the choral call to worship used by the choir of University Covenant Church in Davis, led by Dr. Larry Birch, for the last several Advent seasons, and is such a powerful way to begin a worship service at 8:00 a.m. during the month of December! To my dear UCC choir members and Larry, our fearless leader: how I wish we could be singing this song together this weekend. Together we will continue to wait with hope and pray for the day when we can join our voices together again.

In this soaring pairing of old tune and new text, the spirit of Old Testament prophecy fits perfectly into the Advent theme of waiting, which we all can relate to during this prolonged time of expectancy. The final line of the first three repetitions of Fred Pratt Green's chorus, "Who will make Him welcome?" challenges us during Advent to make our highest priority worshipping Jesus, the reason for the season.  

Long ago prophets knew
Christ would come born a Jew
Come to make all things new
Bear His people's burden
Freely love and pardon

Chorus 
Ring bells ring ring ring
Sing choirs sing sing sing
When He comes when He comes
Who will make Him welcome

God in time God in man
This is God's timeless plan
He will come as a man
Born Himself of woman
God divinely human
(Chorus) 

Mary hail though afraid
She believed she obeyed
In her womb God is laid
Till the time expected
Nurtured and protected
(Chorus)

Journey ends where afar
Bethl'em shines like a star
Stable door stands ajar
Unborn Son of Mary
Saviour do not tarry

Ring bells ring ring ring
Sing choirs sing sing sing
Jesus comes Jesus comes
We will make Him welcome

CCLI Song # 5194580

Fred Pratt Green | Lloyd Larson
© Words: 1971 Hope Publishing Company
Music: 2008 Hope Publishing Company

For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com

CCLI License # 419384

Here's the complete playlist of all the songs featured in today's post.  Enjoy!


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