The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
December 22, 2024
Here we are on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, where our readings are all about Mary. The Canticle for this Sunday is Canticle 15 – The Song of Mary, or Magnificat. The Magnificat is one of the Canticles used at Evening Prayer, and there are many setting composed specifically for use during Evensong. This Sunday we will use the setting found in the Hymnal 1982 on page S247.
The offertory anthem is by one of our favorite composers, Elaine Hagenberg. Based on the text O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Elaine has written a beautiful, haunting melody that beautifully enhances the text. Here are Elaine’s thoughts on the anthem:
In composing "O Come, Emmanuel," I sought to evoke the feeling of a desolate desert, capturing the profound sense of anticipation for a Savior. The opening measures feature the raw, open strings of the cello, while the low, understated tones of the piano ground the piece in somber depth. The soprano entrance portrays a distant voice crying out in the wilderness, and as the full choir enters, I aimed to create choral parts that embody the timeless hope and yearning echoing through generations, striving to tell the story of longing throughout the ages.
The Postlude is a piano/organ duet on the Ukrainian Bell Carol, known as Carol of the Bells. “Carol of the Bells" is a popular Ukranian Christmas carol, which is based on the Ukrainian New Year's song "Shchedryk". The music for the carol comes from the song written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914. The song was first performed by the Ukrainian students at Kyiv University in December 1916.
The song premiered in the United States on October 5, 1922, to a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall and the American audience fell in love with the Ukrainian song.
Prelude - On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry arr. Charles Peery
Offertory – O Come, Emmanuel Elaine Hagenberg
Communion – Even So Come
Postlude – Fantasy on “Carol of the Bells” arr. Sandy Wilkinson
Hymns – Blest Be the King Whose Coming
Canticle 15 – The Song of Mary
The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came
O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light
All Earth Is Waiting
Ye Who Claim the Faith of Jesus
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
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