Hymns for Advent
Four weeks of waiting, and a congregation that would rather be singing carols.
Advent hymns are about expectation — the coming, the watching, the not-yet. They are also, for most congregations, the four weeks standing between them and the carols, which is the pastoral problem the season presents.
| Hymn | Where it sits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| O come, O come, Emmanuel | Opening, any Advent Sunday | The Advent hymn. Veni Emmanuel. Public domain |
| Come, thou long expected Jesus | Opening or gradual | Wesley. Public domain |
| Hills of the north, rejoice | Opening | Strong tune, carries a cold morning |
| Lo, he comes with clouds descending | Advent 1 or 2, final | The second coming; Helmsley |
| On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry | Advent 2 or 3, gradual | For the John the Baptist Sundays |
| Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling | Gradual | Wachet auf. Demanding, and worth it |
| Long ago, prophets knew | Advent 4, gradual | Personent hodie; leans towards Christmas |
| Tell out, my soul | Advent 4 | The Magnificat, for the Annunciation Sunday. Dudley-Smith — check your licence |
The carol problem
Congregations want O come, all ye faithful on Advent 2. The traditional discipline holds the carols back until Christmas Eve so that they land. There is no rule requiring it, and a great many parishes soften it in the fourth week. It is a decision to make deliberately rather than by drift.
The colour and the shape
Purple, and the Gloria omitted — see when the Gloria is omitted. The whole service is lighter than it will be at Christmas, and the hymns should not be doing the work the season is trying to leave undone. Advent readings, all three years.
Questions
What hymns are traditional for Advent?
O come, O come, Emmanuel; Come, thou long expected Jesus; Hills of the north, rejoice; Lo, he comes with clouds descending; and On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry are the standard English parish repertoire.
Should we sing Christmas carols during Advent?
Traditionally they are held back until Christmas Eve so that they land when they arrive. There is no rule, and many parishes soften this in the fourth week of Advent.