First Sunday in Advent: A Song For You!

I love music. I love the music of our faith. I thought it would be fun to post a song for each Sunday in Advent. I am posting the most well-known song of Advent first........and then my favorite song of Advent last. I am not sure what I will use for the two Sundays in-between......I will need to do a little bit of research. Please share a favorite in the comments if you have a song that you find special.

Come, O Come Emmanuel

I listened to quite a handful of versions of this lovely carol. I bring here the two that I found most lovely.....and most tolerable. The first one is vocal and sung beautifully. I chose it because it has all of the verses, or at least most of them, and is most similar to how we sing it in our home. I did not watch the video closely, but it appears to be the story of the coming of the Infant. The second video is instrumental, performed with lovely Advent inspiration. The lyrics are below, and in the order that we sing them at home....the video might have a couple of verses switched.

Supposedly, this carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music is unknown. It is believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Advent Blessings to you and yours this season,

Chari & Willa