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   Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts

The Season of Advent – Music – 58.1

58.1, Advent Season, Music

These music suggestions are appropriate for use throughout the season of Advent and may be repeated from week to week.

Congregational Song in Advent

Songs with refrains might be sung refrain only, or stanzas might be used week to week either sequentially or cumulatively.

Lighting of the Advent Candles

  • Come, Come Emmanuel GTG 91
  • God Is Our Help, Refuge, and Strength GTG 380
  • The Lord Is My Light GTG 842
  • Bless the Lord GTG 544
  • Come Now, O Prince of Peace GTG 103
  • He Came Down GTG 137
  • Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (STUTTGART) GTG 83
  • Prepare the Way of the Lord GTG 95
  • Prepare the Way, O Zion (different stanzas week by week, then all 3 on Advent IV) GTG 106
  • People, Look East (refrain only, as an echo/call-and-response) GTG 105
  • Muéstranos, Señor / Lord, Let Us See Your Kindness -SSS 70
  • Restáuranos, oh Dios / Restore Us, O God (refrain only or with stanzas) SSS 72
  • Preparen el camino / Make Ready a Highway (refrain only or with stanzas) SSS 76
  • Christmas Is Coming, Innkeepers and Light Sleepers, Wild Goose Publications

These songs might be used in different ways within a Sequence of Confession and Lament or a Confession and Pardon liturgy as part of a Call to Confession, the Prayer of Confession, or as a bridge from Confession to Pardon.

Confession

  • Comfort, Comfort Now My People (different stanzas week by week, then all 3 on Advent IV) GTG 87
  • Be Still and Know That I Am God GTG 414
  • O Come unto the Lord (refrain only or with stanza 2) GTG 416
  • Forgive Us, Lord / Perdón, Señor GTG 431
  • God Is Our Help, Refuge, and Strength GTG 380
  • Listen, God Is Calling GTG 456
  • Give Us Light GTG 467
  • Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, stanza 1 UMH 351, AAHH 435
  • Over My Head AAHH 169 
  • I Will Trust in the Lord AAHH 391

Pardon

  • Glory to God / Gloria, gloria GTG 583
  • Glory, Glory, Glory GTG 584
  • Glory to God / Gloria a Dios GTG 585 
  • In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful GTG 654
  • Do Not Be Afraid (different stanzas week by week, then all 3 on Advent IV) GTG 76
  • Peace of God Be with You GTG 448
  • Dona nobis pacem GTG 752 

Anthems for Children’s Choirs in Advent

  • “Advent Carol,” Beth Kenreich, CGA, uni, pno, opt cong (E)

  • “Advent Celebration,” Mark Patterson, CGA, uni, opt 2 pt, pno, opt perc (M)

  • “Carol of Prophecy,” Shirley W. McRae, CGA, uni, opt keybd, hb (ME)

  • “Emmanuel Will Come,” Becki Slagle Mayo, CGA, uni, opt 2 pt, opt hb, opt fc, opt tamb (ME)

  • “He Shall Feed His Flock,” G. F. Handel, arr. Michael Burkhardt, MSM, uni, keybd, 2 C inst (MA)

  • “Lumen Christi,” Jayne Southwick Cool, CGA, uni, keybd (ME) 

  • “Open the Gates,” Hal H. Hopson, CGA, uni, opt desc, opt cong, opt hb (ME)

  • “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings,” G. F. Handel, arr. Jeremy Bankson, MSM, uni, keybd (MA)

  • “Processional Kyrie,” John R. Paradowski, Barbara Semmann, CGA, uni, opt cong, keybd, opt hb, opt C inst, opt stngs (E)

  • “Will You Be Ready?” Mark Patterson, CGA, uni, opt 2 pt, pno (ME)

      Anthems for Youth Choirs in Advent

      • “Advent Echo Carol,” Mary Kay Beall, JM, 2 pt, pno, opt perc (ME)

      • “An Advent Acclamation,” arr. Stacey Nordmeyer, SHAW, SATB, pno, opt hb and perc (M)

      • “Bring Us Hope,” Ruth Elaine Schram, LOR, SAB, pno, opt vc (ME)

      • “Come, Messiah, Come,” Lynn Shaw Bailey and Becki Slagle Mayo, CGA, 2 pt, pno, opt fl (E)

      • “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” Mark A. Miller, CGA, SAB, pno (ME)

      • “Gloria in Excelsis,” Dan R. Edwards, CGA, 2 pt, pno, opt perc (M)

      • “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” arr. Tony Alonso, GIA, SAB, pno, opt gtr and vc (E)

      • “People, Look East,” arr. Tom Mitchell, CGA, SAB, pno (E)

      • “Waiting, Wandering, Wondering,” Ruth Elaine Schram, HOPE, 2 pt, pno (E)

      • “We Are Waiting,” arr. Priscilla Landis, AF, SAB, pno (ME)

          Handbell Music in Advent

          • “Carillon for Advent,” H. Dean Wagner, 5 oct, opt 3 oct hc, Agape, 1906, Level 3

          • “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” arr. Michael Mazzatenta, 3–5 oct, RRM, RRBL5063, Level 2

          • “Gaudete!” arr. Michael J. Glasgow, 3–7 oct, tri, tamb, 3 oct hc, CGA, CGB907, Level 4-

          • “Change Ring Prelude on Divinum Mysterium,” arr. Fred Gramann, 3–6 oct, LOR, 20/1239L, Level 3+

              Vocal Solos in Advent

              • “Every Valley,” Sacred Songs of John Ness Beck, John Ness Beck, BP (M)

              • “My Lord, What a Morning,” The Best of Mark Hayes for Solo Voice, Mark Hayes, ALF (M)

              • “Prepare Thyself, Zion,” Christmas Oratorio, J. S. Bach, BV, mezzo-soprano (A) 

              • “Breath of Heaven,” Amy Grant, musicnotes.com (M)

              • “My Soul Cries Out,” The Essential Collection for the Church Soloist, vol. 2, Joseph Martin, HOPE (E)

              • “Somebody’s Knockin’ at Your Door,” The Deep River Collection, Moses Hogan, HAL (M)

              • “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning,” Tryin’ to Make Heaven My Home, Uzee Brown Jr., LOR (MA)

              • “Prepare Ye,” Godspell, Stephen Schwartz, musicnotes.com (E)

              • “Comfort Ye,” Messiah, G. F. Handel, various, tenor (M)

              • “Ev’ry Valley,” Messiah, G. F. Handel, various, tenor (A)

              • “But the Lord Is Mindful of His Own,” St. Paul Oratorio, Felix Mendelssohn, various, mezzo-soprano (MA)

              • “Be Born in Me,” Bernie Herms and Nicole Nordeman, musicnotes.com (M)

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