Malcolm Guite

 I thought I had posted something a week ago; it was actually two weeks ago. 

Rather than provide music links during Advent, I’d like to provide a link to my favorite Advent readings.

The pastor/poet/theologian/musician Malcolm Guite has published over a dozen books, many of them poetry, but one of the best ways to experience his poems is to go to his website and sign up for the blog  here. You will receive a daily email during Advent and Lent and occasional poems throughout the year.

Most of the poems Malcolm posts for Advent are written by other poets, but you can listen to him read them in his fine English accent while looking at the work of Linda Richardson, an artist who responded to these Advent poems with original works of art. While there you’ll want to read what she has written about the inspiration for her visual response to the poetry. It is a rich experience engaging the eyes, ears, mind, and soul.

If you aren’t familiar with Malcolm Guite, I’m delighted to provide this introduction. Blessings on you and yours for the remaining days of Advent, Christmastide, and the New Year!

People, Look East

 I so love and respect the good folks with the Bruderhof, an intentional Christian community. A group of women from several different Bruderhof communities email a newsletter every month or so, describing some aspect of their lives. I feel like I know them. You can access the newsletter here.

We were actually able to visit a Bruderhof Community only three hours away in Madisonville, Tennessee. The folks we met were as calm, orderly, and gracious as one would expect. We were guided around the beautiful campus by a couple of empty nesters a few years younger than us, then we were joined at lunch by a couple well into their 80s. 

The writers of the newsletter reference a wonderful song that speaks to the joy of preparing for the Christ Child,  People, Look East. You can hear a fine choral rendition of it here.

Advent 2023

First Sunday of Advent - Hope

 I hope some old and new posts, with old and new music, will be an encouragement during this season.

 “Sometimes you need to sing your way into the truth.” Sara Hagerty, quoted in Adore.

Advent is a time to show up and sing your way into the truth whether you feel like it or not. The words of Isaiah 40 are a perfect way to begin:

“Comfort ye, my people…” from Handel’s Messiah

Do you feel comforted? Encouraged to look up and anticipate God working? I tend to when I hear the beginning of this. I know the entire Messiah was composed to be performed at Easter, but this bit is a perfect beginning to Advent, don’t you think?

Waiting on the Word

 It will be easy to find a recording of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” You may already have a favorite.

I suggest listening to this talk first. Malcolm Guite “Waiting on the Word” The word “riches” comes to mind as I hear this - treasures hidden in plain sight in words I’ve sung for most of my life. 

You can follow Malcolm Guite’s blog and read the poems from his Advent book Waiting on the Word without purchasing the book. You get the added benefit of seeing an artist’s interpretation of each poem. I enjoyed reading the blog this year; next year I intend to buy the book and enjoy Malcolm’s commentary on each poem.

My friends and I recorded “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (Track 1)  a little over twenty years ago, and I don’t thing any of us understood the beauty, depth, and cleverness of the historic O Antiphons. If we had, we would have sung all the verses and put this “riddle” in the program.

From Malcolm Guite’s blog:

Now, standing on the brink of Christmas Eve, looking back at the illuminated capital letters for each of the seven titles of Christ we would see an answer to our pleas : ERO CRAS the latin words meaning ‘Tomorrow I will come!”

O Emmanuel

O Rex

O Oriens

O Clavis

O Radix

O Adonai

O Sapientia 

Sleepers, Awake!

 It is interesting that I don’t find myself particularly moved by music this season. I should say by listening to music as I have had a wonderful time singing and conducting Advent and Christmas carols.  But I have not done the listening required to keep this blog going on a daily basis. The excitement of a big Christmas performance with my new school, helping with the Live Nativity at Sardis Church, joining in on an Advent Evensong at All-Souls Anglican, and leading Advent sings and a Christmas Eve choir at Immanuel Anglican have been lovely but have thoroughly scratched the seasonal music itch. And last but not least, adding a precious new granddaughter the weekend before Christmas and enjoying the energy of her older brother and sister while we waited on the baby to come have made this a very special, but not very bloggy, season.

I have been more moved by reading poetry than listening to music, especially as it concerns the O Antiphons…which are music. I will write about those in the next few days.

But I heard this song on Classic FM and was reminded what a wonderful Advent carol it is as well as an organ and/or orchestral masterpiece by J. S. Bach.

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, from Cantata BWV 140 

I like the version linked above for the translation and the instruments. There are many ways to hear this music. Chris Thule, Yo-Yo Ma, and Edgar Meyer perform it here.

The cello plays the choral melody which was the chorale - the German hymn - that the congregation would recognize. It was framed in the countermelody and lovely Baroque ornamentation. 

Singing Bach can be very worshipful, but it takes a lot of work. I would enjoy tackling a Bach chorale some day if the musicians were decently skilled and highly motivated. 

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

 Another great Charles Wesley poem, this time set to a Welsh tune, Hyfrydol, which means “delightful, agreeable, pleasing, pleasant, beautiful, fair, fine; sweet, melodious,” according to Wikipedia. It was composed by Rowland Prichard around 1844 when he was still  a teenager. “Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners” is one of the many hymns and songs which use this tune.

https://nativitysongs.bandcamp.com/album/nativity-songs

The above link will take you to the Nativity Songs album that I was privileged to take part in creating some years ago. “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is track 13. Quite by accident, we discovered that “The Holly and the Ivy” tune worked well as an intro, so we recorded it that way. It was arguably the easiest song we performed, and probably one of the most fun to sing along with. 

Mary Consoles Eve

 In a total change of musical pace, enjoy this song by Sandra McCracken.

Mary Consoles Eve

“Almost, not yet, already.” I purpose to sing this to myself throughout Advent. It sums up the spirit of the season very well indeed.

The above is “Mary and Eve,” painted some years ago by one of the Trappist Nuns of Mississippi Abbey. My daughter Katie stopped by the abbey gift shop while traveling through Iowa to visit her in-laws for Thanksgiving. She very kindly bought a box of caramels for Ken and I, and I spotted this painting in the little catalog that came with the candies. It reminded me of the song above. So we have Katie and her knowledge of our “sweet teeth” to thank for this song today. 

You can learn more about those nuns at Mississippi abbey.org 

There is a link to their candy and gift site at the bottom of the home page. You can also purchase cards with the image above there.