I absolutely love classic church hymns and anthems, particularly when beautifully done. I’ve spent countless hours searching the depths of the internet to find incredible video and audio recordings of tunes sung by angelic choirs, accompanied by powerful organs and various instruments, in echoey cathedrals and great music halls, with wonderful harmonies and descants, and (when I can find) joined by lively voices of a congregation.  These songs now take up most of the space on my iPhone (I may or may not jog to albums like Duruflé’s Requiem). It is in discovering hymns, anthems, motifs, and chants presented in such stunning ways that I have grown to deeply appreciate the great ancient music of our church heritage.  

In effort to spread the love for classic choral church music, I have spent some time compiling some of my favorite recordings of all the Advent hymns in the Hymnal 1982 (the primary hymnal for American Anglicans and Episcopalians). Not all of these recordings will have lyrics or versification that follows the 1982 version. In those cases, they might follow older hymnals.  You can view the 1940 hymnal for free here and the English Hymnal for free here.  The tune names are in parentheses. The original lyricists are in brackets.  Where some hymns are popularly sung with different tunes than listed in the hymnal, they are labeled (BONUS).  Where the recording is available on Apple Music or Spotify, there are links.  

Enjoy!

#53 Once He Came in Blessing (Gottes Sohn) [John Ron 1485-1547]
Princeton University

#54 Savior of the Nations Come (Nun komm) [Martin Luther 1483-1546]

St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral, Tallahassee

Robert Ferrell Apple Spotify
#55 Redeemer of the Nations, Come (Veni Redemptor gentium, Mode 1) [Ambrose of Milan 340-397]
#56 O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Veni, Veni, Emmanuel) [Latin, 9th Century]
King’s College, Cambridge
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify

This classic hymns is a compilation of the ancient O Antiphons” that were sung by monks with the Magnificat at Vespers (Evening Prayer/Evensong) in the days leading up to Christmas.

#57 Lo! He Comes, With Clouds Descending (Helmsley) [Charles Wesley 1707-1788]
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify

St. John’s College, Cambridge Apple Spotify
Christ Church Bronxville, NY (arr. Stopford)
Wells Cathedral Apple Spotify
#58 Lo! He Comes, With Clouds Descending (St. Thomas) [Charles Wesley 1707-1788]

All I could find is this piano tune below.

#59 Hark! A Thrilling Voices Is Sounding (Merton) [Latin, 6th Century]
King’s College, Cambridge Apple Spotify

First-Plymouth Church Lincoln, NE
#60 Creator of the Stars of Night (Conditor alme, Plainsong Mode 4) [Latin, 9th Century]
Special Arrangement by Dan Forrest Apple Spotify
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify
#61/62 “Sleepers, Wake!” A Voice Astounds Us (Wachet Auf– J. S. Bach) [Philipp Nicolai 1556-1608]
Guildford Cathedral
Huddersfield Choral Society
#63 O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light (Verbum Supernum, Plainsong Mode 2) [Latin, 7th Century]
St. Peter’s In the Loop, Chicago

#64 O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light (O Heiland) [Latin 7th Century]
Holy Family, Toronto

(BONUS) O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light (Verbum Supernum, Mode 3) [Latin, 7th Century]
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify

#65 Prepare The Way, O Zion (Herran) [Frans Mikael Franzen 1772-1847]
St. Bartholomew’s Church, NYC
#66 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Stuttgart) [Charles Wesley 1707-1788]
St. John’s, Detroit

(BONUS) Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Cross of Jesus-Stainer) [Charles Wesley 1707-1788]
St. John’s College, Cambridge
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify
(BONUS) Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Hyfrodol) [Charles Wesley 1707-1788]
St. Olaf College, Minnesota
Walla Walla University Church

#67 Comfort, Comfort Ye My People (Psalm 42) [Johan Olearius 1611-1684]
St. John’s, Los Angeles
First-Plymouth Church, NE
Palmer Episcopal Church, Houston Apple Spotify
#68 Rejoice, Rejoice Believers (Llangloffan) [Laurentius Laurenti 1660-1722]
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame
#69 What Is The Crying At Jordan (St. Marks) [Carol Christopher Drake 1933]
The Miserable Offenders Apple Spotify

#70 Herald, Sound The Note of Judgment (Herald, Sound) [Moir A. J. Waters 1906-1980]

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chicago

#71 Hark! The Glad Sound! The Savior Comes (Bristol) [Philip Doddridge 1702-1751]
St. John’s College, Cambridge Apple Spotify
Liverpool Cathedral Apple Spotify
#72 Hark! The Glad Sound! The Savior Comes (Richmond) [Philip Doddridge 1702-1751]
First-Plymouth Church, NE

St. Olaf’s College, Minnesota Spotify

#73 The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (St. Stephen) [Greek, tr. John Browline]
James Abbingdon
Wheaton College, Illinois
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame
#74 Blest Be The King Whose Coming (Valet will ice dir geben) [Federico J. Padura 1923]
John Keys (Music Only)
Just about the only version found on the internet with this tune, not the best recording!
#75 There’s A Voice In The Wilderness Crying (Ascension) [James Milligan 1876-1961]
St. Peter’s In The Loop, Chicago Spotify

#76 On Jordan’s Bank The Baptist’s Cry (Winchester New) [Charles Coffin 1676-1749]
Salisbury Cathedral Apple Spotify
Christ Church Bronxville, NY
#265 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (Gabriel’s Message) [Basque carol]
King’s College, Cambridge
Queen’s College, Oxford Apple Spotify
Categories: Music

1 Comment

Recordings of All Christmas Hymns in the Hymnal – The Cloister · December 24, 2020 at 11:22 am

[…] is Part II of my hymn project. You can see an introduction with my Advent Hymn post here. Here are examples of “the best” (most are great, some are not) of each Christmas Hymn […]

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