Annual reminder that I wrote a pretty good Advent hymn
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    From ancient roots, a shoot shall rise,
    Full-blooming Wisdom of our God;
    With perfect judgement in His eyes,
    and perfect justice from His rod.

    Abundant peace, like streams, shall flow,
    Til stars and moon fall from the sky;
    And all the lands and peoples know,
    the Name of God, the Lord Most High.

    A voice cries out, "Prepare the Way,
    Repent, and make His pathways clear!"
    We dare not rest, dare not delay,
    Salvation by our God is near.

    The axe, as yet, awaits the tree,
    The threshing floor awaits the fan.
    Before His justice, none can flee;
    Beneath His judgement, none can stand.

    Prepare then well, and swiftly too,
    For swifter still is God's own grace.
    Prepare your heart to be made new,
    Prepare your eyes to see His face.

    ----

    You can sing it to any LM tune, for example:
    - CONDITOR ALME
    - BOURBON
    - WALY WALY
    - BRESLAU
    - The verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel

    (I don't know why you make some of those choices, but you could.)


    You can also skip the first two verses and start at "A Voice Cries Out". This version, set to BOURBON, is attached. (Someone asked for it at some point.)

    If you need a particular setting, EMAIL me and let me know (more than a few days ahead of when you need it) and I can probably get it to you. (adam dot michael dot wood at g oogle m ail dot you know how this ends)
    image
    Thanked by 7liampmcdonough ServiamScores CharlesW Chris Garton-Zavesky M. Jackson Osborn Salieri Carol
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 264
    Really nice, Adam. I wish I was still on my parish’s liturgy committee to recommend its use for this upcoming Advent. I dread to hear what is on the line-up this year, sigh.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    When was the first reminder sent out, and how many years in a row have you sent out this reminder?
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    This is the First Annual Reminder.
    Thanked by 4mattebery Carol Chris Garton-Zavesky Heath
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Not mentioned previously as a tune for Adam's hymn is WINCHESTER NEW, also popular with the Advent text "On Jordan's bank". The scope of Adam's text seems to me well suited to this tune, and so I have set it thus, with an alternate harmonization for stanzas 2,4,5 and with descants for stanzas 3 & 5. Hopefully, this is clear from the attached PDF score. The MP3 sound file gives the original (Monk) harmonization for organ, then proceeds with the intended realization, the second stanza being "sung" a cappella.
    Giffen-Wood-From ancient roots.pdf
    48K
    Giffen-Wood-From ancient roots-sound-MP3.mp3
    4M
    Giffen-Wood-From ancient roots-sound-score.pdf
    66K
    Thanked by 1sdtalley3
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