Some enterprising musician really ought to market an album of Advent carols. Religion News Service (you have to scroll down to the 3rd Kevin Eckstrom blurb to get the lede) is running an article this week on folks writing new Advent hymns because there are supposedly so few. But this is nonsense --my home hymnal collection has dozens. For those of us (there are still many) who shun Christmas carols until Christmas, it gets old having nothing but "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" & "Rorate" to choose from --haunting as those melodies are-- before the albums burst into "Joy to the World."
The great Advent carols are an overlooked treasure --they can send chills up your spine because they look not only to Christmas, but also to the definitive coming of Christ. Personal favorites are Christians, Look East, When The King Shall Come Again, On Jordan's Bank. . . . And I for one would instantly scoop up dozens of copies of a competently done tape or CD of those carols to listen to during this season (and give away to the like-minded).
Competently done:
- No Christmas songs included in the collection.
- Not overly orchestrated, allowing the melody and the lyrics to shine.
- Spirited presentation, not overly solemn or pious. Generally for carols, the "feel" of an authentic folk song (as opposed to hippie folk music) is the right tone.
