Sunday, 6 December 2015

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SONG: COME, THOU REDEEMER OF THE EARTH

Artist: Choir of St James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago, Bruce Barber (dir), Richard Barrick Hoskins (organ)
Words/Music: St Ambrose trans Neale/Anon adapted Praetorius
MSR Classics MS1376

Come, Thou Redeemer of the earth,
And manifest Thy virgin birth:
Let every age adoring fall;
Such birth befits the God of all.

Begotten of no human will,
But of the Spirit, Thou art still
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
The promised Fruit to man displayed.

The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honour all unstained,
The banners there of virtue glow,
God in his temple dwells below.

Forth from His chamber goeth He,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now His course to run.

From God the Father he proceeds,
To God the Father back he speeds,
Runs out his course to death and hell,
Returns on God’s high throne to dwell.

O equal to the Father, Thou!
Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.

All laud, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whose advent sets thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost for evermore.

SONG: LOOK TOWARDS CHRISTMAS

Artist: New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir
Words/Music: Murray/Bray
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941001

Look towards Christmas! Advent is here:
welcome December, changing the year.
Whistle up, shepherds! Saddle up, kings!
Chorus up angels, flexing your wings.
Refrain:
Sing, sing alleluia!
Sing, sing alleluia!
Sing, sing out the story,
sing about hope and peace.

Set the world singing, make the world glad;
now is good reason not to feel sad!
Hear John the Baptist shout to prepare:
Good News is coming, earth be aware.
Refrain:

Mary and Joseph, soon is the day:
ready the donkey, start on your way.
You are the chosen, willing to trust,
joyful your burden, carrying Christ
Refrain:

SONG: HAIL TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED

Artist: Coventry Singers
Words/Music: Montgomery/Cruger
Recording: Mission Worship 2013

Hail to the Lord’s anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
To take away transgression and rule in equity.

He comes in succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying, were precious in His sight.

To Him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end:
The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;
His Name shall stand forever, His Name to us is Love.

SONG: PEOPLE LOOK EAST

Artist: The Linden Singers of Hawkes Bay, Basil Brooker (dir)
Words/Music: Farjeon/Trad
Recording: RNZ

People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce to man and beast
Him who cometh from the east.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.

SONG: ZION HÖRTE DIE WÄCHTER SINGEN (ZION HEARS THE WATCHMEN SINGING)

Artist: The tenors of The Monteverdi Choir, The English Baroque Soloists. John Eliot Gardiner (dir)
Words/Music: Nicolai/Nicolai, Bach
Recording: Archiv 463 587

Zion hört die Wächter singen,
das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen,
sie wachet und steht eilend auf.
Ihr Freund kommt von Himmel prächtig,
von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig,
ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf.
Nun komm, du werte Kron’,
Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn,
Hosianna!
Wir folgen all
zum Freudensaal
und halten mit das Abendmahl.

[Translation:
Zion hears the watchmen singing,
both heart and mind for joy are springing;
she wakens now, stands up with haste.
The loved one comes in heavenly splendour
strong in the power of truth and grace;
her light burns clear, her star ascends.
Now come, Thou worthy crown,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hosanna!
We follow all
to rejoicing’s hall,
partake of the great supper there.]

SONG: THOU WHOSE ALMIGHTY WORD

Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Words/Music: Marriott/Giardini
Recording: Whole World Media Group

Thou, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard,
And took their flight;
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the gospel’s day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!

Thou, who didst come to bring
On thy redeeming wing
Healing and sight,
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind,
O now, to all mankind,
Let there be light!

Spirit of truth and love,
Life giving, holy dove,
Speed forth thy flight;
Move on the water’s face
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And, in earth’s darkest place,
Let there be light!

Blessèd and holy three,
Glorious trinity,
Wisdom, love, might!
Boundless as ocean’s tide,
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the world far and wide,
Let there be light!

SONG: GABRIEL’S MESSAGE

Artist: Gondwana Voices, Lyn Williams (dir), Marshall McGuire (harp)
Words/Music: Trad/Trad arr John Raymond Howell
Recording: ABC 472822

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady," Gloria!

"For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady," Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
"To me be as it pleaseth God," she said,
"my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name."
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say –
"Most highly favored lady," Gloria!

SONG: OF THE FATHER’S HEART BEGOTTEN

Artist: The Sixteen, Harry Christophers (dir), Robert Quinney (organ)
Words/Music: Prudentius trans R F Davis/Anon
Recording: Coro COR 16085

Of the Father's heart begotten,
ere the world from chaos rose,
he is Alpha; from that fountain
all that is and hath been flows.
He of all things is Omega
yet to come the mystic close,
evermore and evermore.

By his word was all created;
he commanded, and 'twas done:
earth and sky and boundless ocean,
universe of three in one,
all that sees the moon's soft radiance,
all that breathes beneath the sun,
evermore and evermore.

He assumed this mortal body,
Frail and feeble, doomed to die,
That the race from dust created,
Might not perish utterly,
Which the dreadful Law had sentenced
In the depths of hell to lie,
Evermore and evermore.

O how blest that wondrous birthday,
When the Maid the curse retrieved,
Brought to birth mankind's salvation
By the Holy Ghost conceived,
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer
In her loving arms received,
Evermore and evermore.

This is He, whom seer and sibyl
Sang in ages long gone by,;
This is He of old revealed
In the page of prophecy;
Lo! He comes the promised Saviour;
Let the world his praises cry!
Evermore and evermore.

Sing, ye heights of heav'n, his praises;
angels and archangels, sing!
Wheresoe'er ye be, ye faithful,
let your joyous anthems ring,
ev'ry tongue his name confessing,
countless voices answering,
evermore and evermore!