Metrical O antiphons
I love, love, love the Advent O antiphons. But the traditional chants are not suitable for congregational use and the texts are quite long for unison speech, especially if you're saying them either side of a spoken Magnificat.
Solution: write a metrical version (yes, I know O come O come Emmanuel exists, but it doesn't have all the antiphons and it's a metrical translation of the Latin texts. This is a metrical version of the Common Worship texts.) Suitable, I hope, to sing one verse either side of a spoken Magnificat at Evening Prayer in a parish church or similar.
Tune: Come thou redeemer of the earth (or any LM tune you know)
O holy Wisdom from the height
Whom God first spoke, who rules in might
O sweetly order every land
O teach us prudence at thy hand.
O Adonai, the Holy Name,
Revealed to Moses in the flame
O Law-giver, O Israel's Balm,
O save us, Lord, stretch out thine arm.
O Root of Jesse, standing proud,
A sign to make kings weep aloud
To whom the nations humbly pray:
O come, O save, do not delay.
O Key of David, open wide
the prison, set free those inside,
the door thou op'nest none can seal -
O lead thy waiting ones to heal.
O Morning Star, O Light of Light,
O Sun, O Justice, Splendour bright,
O bring thy Day to dawn afresh
O come to all who dwell in death.
O King of Nations, our Desire
Creator and Creation's fire
O Cornerstone of Unity
Save thy creation, make us free.
O God with us, Emmanuel,
Come to this aching world to dwell
Our hope, our life, our strength, our stay
Come now, come soon, come Child, come Day.
Comments
Post a Comment