NOT A B-SIDE SEASON Exploring the rich music and tradition of Advent
By Erwin Gunnells
C
hristmas is coming— Christmas with the magic of our three Christmas Eve services: the candlelight, the greenery, the rich aroma of straw and excited children at 3:00 and of perfume and whiskey at 11:00; Christmas with the glorious processional “O Come All Ye Faithful” and with “Silent Night” in the dark. Many of us get chills that come at no other time.
Before that day, however, comes Advent—not the “B” side, not the forgotten stepsister, but an ancient and meaningful season
with its own traditions. It is Advent, not Christmas, that marks the beginning of our church year. Advent music is old and lovely and full of meaning to our faith. The texts deal with the themes of Advent: preparing the way for Jesus; the coming of light to darkness; the fulfilment of promises, birth, anticipation. Traditionally, each Sunday has a different focus carried out in the readings and music. The first Sunday has a judgment theme, perhaps harking back to the days when Advent had a strong penitential character. The lesson from Luke tells us to “be alert at all times” for the Son of Man “coming in a cloud” to shake the foundations of the world. We are urged to beware; we are reminded that the promised birth has another, inherent, promise: Christ’s second coming, when we will be called to account. “Wake, awake, for the night is flying” goes one beloved hymn. The anthem that day will be a
contemporary piece, a new setting of “Kindle a Light” by Richard Lloyd. The text repeats that “Christ is coming in judgment and peace.” On the second Sunday, St. Nicholas appears, figuratively, and, at Trinity, literally, (or at least representationally) as the famous Bishop of Myra. On his day, December 6, children in many countries find their shoes filled with gifts, leaving Christmas as a religious celebration. The choir will sing the “Kyrie” and “Sanctus” from Haydn’s St. Nicholas Mass. Haydn probably wrote the Mass in honor of the name day of his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, on December 6, 1772. Listen for the lilting melodies and joyous spirit. Joy is the theme for the third Sunday. The time is getting closer and excitement is building. The anthem, a setting of “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns” is pretty exciting because it is brand new, the winner of the 2018 Sewanee Church Music Conference Choral Composition Prize. Our choir director, Sharon Boone, heard it there and got it for us. The text is ancient, a translation of a Greek hymn.
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