Songs and Hymns for Advent 3C (December 13th, 2009)

As well as the songs listed below, you may wish to sing a more "general" Advent type song. Here is a list of general Advent suggestions.

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing out! God's going to fix the world's problems.
Online resource Sing Zion's daughter! (Burton-Edwards) A modern paraphrase of the reading set to the familiar tune MORNING SONG. Would be very straightforward - but there are lots of verses! Free sheet music.
Tune In: We will sing a new song to the world (Brown) An energetic song about the gospel. Sound sample and lyrics here.
MV 180 Sing, Sing Out! (Sing a new song) (Hannah) An excellent two-part round. It’s worth teaching it to your congregation so they can sing it with confidence and break into two parts. Alternately, you could have a small group sing it in canon with the rest of the congregation.
ATE 216 / Iona (SBL) / CH126 / StJ / ELW555 / HPSS472 / G(II)365 / GC527 / RS 671 O sing to the Lord / Cantai ao Senhor / Cantad al Señor (Traditional Brazilian) A good, fun and simple song that is easy to learn in languages other than English too (Portuguese or Spanish).
Taize / GC(II)533 Sing to God with joyful hearts / Singt dem Herrn (Berthier) A joyful round. Works well in English and German, and probably other languages too. Sound samples, sheet music, translations and lyrics here.
NCH36 / HPSS219 To God compose a song of joy (Duck / KEDDY) “The God of Justice comes to save; let earth make melody; For God will judge with righteousness and rule with equity” Beautiful words. I prefer this sung to the tune in NCH – the standard hymn tune RICHMOND (TiS 425)

Isaiah 12:2-6
More singing praises to God. Trust. See suggestions for Zephaniah reading above.
NCH107 / LBW633 / ELW242 / GC346 / GC(II)351 / RS494 / W&R160 / Cha138 Awake Awake and greet the new morn Joyful Advent song, probably best suited to the Northern Hemisphere. Lyrics, sound sample.
Taize / AoV2-109 / CH772 / GA429 / SFFS 2195 / G(II)396 / GC566 / GC(II)546 / W&R448 In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful / El Senyor (Berthier) A joyful and bouncy Taize song. Works well in English, German and Spanish at least. Sheet music, translations into many other languages, sound samples.
G(II)129 / GC148 / GC(II)81 Cry out with joy and gladness / With Joy you shall draw water (Haugen) A nice arrangement of this reading. The tune is really similar to "Let us build a house", so maybe it would be confusing? It's very straightforward to sing. Lyrics, sheet music sample, sound sample (search for "Cry out with joy" or "With joy you shall draw")
AoV1-072 / GA341 We Shall Draw Water (Inwood) Cantor and congregational refrain. Quite nice.
ATW 435 Like the woman of old / Wellsprings A favourite song in our congregation about going to the "Wellsprings of life"and finding Jesus there. Picks up themes of tiredness, broken hearts and weariness, but makes the point that it's worth the effort. It's not specifically related to this reading, but would probably work quite well.
NCH109 With joy draw water (McKinstry) Good words based on this and another Isaiah Advent reading. Sung to a familiar Celtic tune (ST COLUMBA) this would not be difficult. A little formal. Lyrics (loads a pdf which you'll need to search through).

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice, be gentle, God's near, don't worry, bring your worries to God and peace will come.
Recorded music If this thing should spill (Born in the Flood) I just came across this song today. A plea for peace to dwell in us and overflow. Sounds kind of like U2. Lyrics. Slideshow (with sound sample and lyrics).
GC(II)722 Jesus give us your peace (Mahler) Gospel song. It kind of merges personal peace with global peace. "Jesus bring us your peace, bring us together, let all the fighting cease…" Lyrics, sound sample and sheet music (search for "Give us your peace")
Taize / AoV2-109 / CH772 / GA429 / SFFS 2195 / G(II)396 / GC566 / GC(II)546 / W&R448 In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful / El Senyor (Berthier) A joyful and bouncy Taize song. Works well in English, German and Spanish at least. Sheet music, translations into many other languages, sound samples.
AoVK-75 / VU249 / HPP397 / W&R650 Rejoice in the Lord Always and again I say rejoice (Anon?) This is a fun Sunday School-type song, that also works as a round. I used to love this, and I'll admit that I still think it's fun.
Taize / TiS 739 / AoV2-041 / ATOK 404 / VU290 / GA269 / SFFS 2054 / G(II)451 / GC639 / GC(II)626 / CP568 / W&R421 Nothing Can Trouble / Nada te turbe / Excellent. The Spanish is not too hard for non-Spanish-speakers. Sample sheet music and sound samples of parts here.
Iona (M&G, T1AU) / MV99 / GC(II)673 Stand O Stand Firm An excellent, strong, and simple chorus from the Cameroons. Free sheet music from the World Council of Churches here.
GC(II)719 Let your gentleness be known / The Peace of God. A quite lovely song that picks up the images of purity without being overly pious. “Let your gentleness be known so that all may know the Lord is near. Do not worry, do not worry. Reach out to God in prayer” Sample sheet music and a fairly tacky sound sample here (look up Gather Comp. 2, number 719). It’s much better than it sounds in the sample.
ATW 485 Praying in the morning Good song for kids about praying all the time.
AoV1-106 / UMH376 / WoV774 / ELW753 / G(II)528 / GC730 / GC(II)724 / CP562 / Cha297 Dona Nobis Pacem (American folk) Fun, old round.
UMH729 / VU682 / LBW161 / WoV762 / ELW627 / HPSS450 / CP573 / W&R539 / Cha711 O day of peace that dimly shines (Daw) A song of hoped-for peace. The tune in Chalice hymnal is really nice (CANDLER). Other sources use JERUSALEM, which is a bit too militaristic for me. Lyrics and JERUSALEM sample.
Taize / CH276 / VU22 / ELW262 / G(II)256 / GC332 / GC(II)340 / CP94 Wait for the Lord (Berthier). "Wait for the Lord, whose day is near, Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart!" Sheet music, translations and sound samples
Unknown source Alleluia, the great storm is over (Francke) lift up your wings and fly! The musicians at our church sang this in a gospel style last Advent, and I had never heard it before. It's really excellent. I especially love the image of the infant sleeping while the mother sang until the bridegroom returned. The chorus is really catchy and very easy to sing. If not familiar, you can use a cantor or soloist for the verses and invite the congregation to join in the chorus. Lyrics.

Luke 3:7-18
John preaches it! Reprimands everyone and then tells them how they should live right.
StS008 / SFFS 2089 / HPSS409 Wild and Lone the Prophet's Voice (Daw) Excellent, challenging words. I prefer this sung to ABERYSTWYTH which is well known and easily accessible. Lyrics
TiS 270 / AHB 199 / NCH115 / CH334 / VU20 / LBW548 / ELW842 / HPPS010 / G(II)260 / GC321 / 322 / GC(II)344 / CP103 / CP(E) 34 / W&R156 On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry. If you would like inclusive lyrics (and who wouldn’t!), have a look at the New Century Hymnal’s version. If you’d like a groovy tune, check out AHB 199(ii) / GC322 – ST JOHN BAPTIST by Gary Lewis Miles and Betty Pulkingham. This is an excellent, fun tune. You can even combine the words of NCH115 with AHB199(ii) for the best of both worlds. But WINCHESTER NEW is also very good, and easy to sing if you don’t have a congregation full of people who grew up in the 60s and 70s. Lyrics and tune sample (Winchester New).
Online resource Down by the Jordan (Winfrey Gillette) Good words based on this reading, set to the well known hymn tune LOBE DEN HERREN. Free sheet music (loads a pdf)
Tune In: Dare to Dream. A great song about having a vision for the future, being lead by the light of Bethlehem’s star. If you don’t have a copy of Tune In yet, there’s time to get it before Advent! Sorry about that shameless promotion there.... Sound sample and lyrics here.
AoVK-50 / ATW 430 Come let us praise our God / A voice is heard (Trisha Watts) Excellent and energetic.
TiS 688 Come to be our hope O Jesus (Marachin) This is a really fun Latin American song from the World Council of Churches Assembly in Canberra. It's not easy the first time, but once you've heard it, it's very catchy. The words are really excellent, despite a slightly clunky translation. It would be worth teaching to your congregation!

Linnea Good has a funny rewrite of "Let it Snow!" which has a lot of fun with this reading. We used it last year and had lots of laughs....