Our Advent hymns today, marking the Second Sunday in Advent, include Shirley Murray's Look towards Christmas.
Annunciation - A Mironov (2019) Photo: CC 4.0 / A Mironov
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: COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
Artist: Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Sarah MacDonald (dir), Timothy Morgan (organ)
Words/Music: C Wesley/Stainer
Recording: Priory PRCD 714
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.
SONG: O THOU WHO CAMEST FROM ABOVE
Artist: Choir of St John’s, Elora, Paul Halley (organ)
Words/Music: C Wesley/SS Wesley
Recording: Naxos 8.572540
O Thou who camest from above,
the pure celestial fire to impart
kindle a flame of sacred love
upon the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return,
in humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
to work and speak and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up thy gift in me.
Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat,
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make my sacrifice complete.
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!
SONG: O COME, O COME EMMANUEL
Artist: Choir of Wellington Cathedral, Philip Walsh (dir), Andrew Macmillan (organ)
Words/Music: Anon trans Neale/Anon arr Carter
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 224
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 Branch of Jesse's tree,
Free them from Satan's tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow'r to save,
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Refrain:
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain:
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain:
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain:
