I have always wanted to have an album that had just Advent songs--no Christmas Carols. When I asked people for recommendations, they would always recommend albums of recordings of Lessons and Carols, and they always had Christmas Carols on them. So last year, having finally learned how to download songs and burn CDs (just in the nick of time before CD players completely disappear), I went to Amazon and looked through millions of options to find the songs I wanted. It was much harder than I thought it would be. I'm still not happy with some of my choices, but all-in-all it's what I wanted. It doesn't always work well as an album. I have to change the volume almost every time a song begins, and sometimes the change from one song to the next is jarring, but I still like it. In case you care to do likewise, I've linked to all the songs below.
I had to include The Carnival Band's The Angel Gabriel even though they sneak Christmas into the last verse. Most of it is about the Annunciation.
Rorate Coeli
O Come Divine Messiah
On Jordan's Bank
The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns
Savior of the Nations Come
Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Creator of the Stars of Night
People Look East
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Maria Walks Amid the Thorn
The Advent of our God
The Angel Gabriel
AMDG
I only recognize about half of those. "Let All Mortal Flesh" is one of my very favorite hymns, though I never thought of it as Advent-specific.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would most specifically be about the Incarnation. It reminds me of this painting which is in our local art museum. It's huge, about 6.5' x 10'. It's hard to tell in this small size, but all those clouds are really rank upon rank of angels.
DeleteAMDG
You need "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending." Best Advent hymn ever. Also Paul Manz's "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come."
ReplyDeleteI'm not generally much of a Sting fan, but I really thought this was cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPQNTDRgv64
That Sting song is the last one on my list. Mine is the Carnival Band.
DeleteI'll check these others out.
AMDG
I meant to say that if anyone had any suggestions, I'd like to hear them.
ReplyDeleteAMDG
Janet, you seem to be missing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", and the O Antiphons on which it is based.
ReplyDeleteThat was an oversight. I have that on the CD, too. I might have it in Latin and in English. Too busy to check.
ReplyDeleteAMDG