December 17, 2023

The basis for the prelude Sunday is the hymn "People, Look East", a tune I think familiar to most; at one time we did a special program in the Parish Hall that used the tune throughout. The hymn originated as a French carol, "Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep", but was adapted by the English in the early 20th century with another Advent text and inserted into the Oxford Book of Carols.  The setting is by the contemporary American, Robert Hobby, of whom I have written before and whose arrangements I often play.

During the processional we will sing hymn 73, "The King shall come when morning dawns and light triumphant breaks", a well-known 18th century hymn.   Even older (16th century) is the Gospel hymn, the well loved "Savior of the nations come", 54, text by Martin Luther.

Our offertory anthem will be "Hark! A Herald Voice Is Calling", another beautiful tune and arrangement by the Englishman, Richard Shephard, whose music we often use.  Mr. Shephard, as you may remember, was mainly 20th century but was prolific on into the early 21st.

The first communion hymn will be 58, "Lo! He comes, with clouds descending".  We have 2 settings of this Charles Wesley text in our hymnal, both great hymns in my opinion.  Over the course of the 4 Sundays of Advent, we are singing just about all the popular Advent hymns but may not include 57 this year-- so sing it at home if you like!  The second communion hymn will be 640, "Watchman, tell us of the night",  a great Advent hymn strangely not included within the body of all the other Advent hymns in our hymnal.  

Closing, we will sing hymn 72, "Hark! the glad sound! the Savior comes, the Savior promised long".  Note it's another text by Philip Dodddridge (18th century, rather short life), and that the hymn includes a 20th century descant on verse 4, which will be sung by Diane Crisp.

The postlude will be another Robert Hobby setting, this time of "Prepare the Royal Highway", a Swedish folk tune not found in our hymnal, but one of those tunes one hears and "thinks" one knows!