Songs and Hymns for Advent 3B (11 December 2011)

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11  
The spirit of the Lord is on me to bring good news, so rejoice!
*Tune In: The Spirit of the Lord (Loukes) A beautiful and simple chant. Highly recommended. Lyrics, sound sample and songbook available here.
*TiS 690 / CH259 / StS115 Beauty for brokenness hope for despair (Kendrick) Themes of healing from personal and universal suffering and a rousing chorus. Lyrics.
*Online Resource Hear the message we now are proclaiming / El mensaje que hoy proclamamos. This jubilant Colombian song of liberty and new life for the poor and suffering would fit well with this reading. Free sheet music.
*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 and good for kids. The words are really excellent, despite a slightly clunky translation. Use some maracas. It would be worth teaching to your congregation!
*AoV1-021 / ATOK 402 / StS114 / G(II)488 / GC682 / GC(II)669 God Has Chosen Me (Farrell) Energetic, and great words of justice. Can be rocky or smooth, however you like it. Good for kids. Lyrics.
*AoVK-28 / ATOK 376 Faith hope and love (Watts) This is so easy, and so cool. If you have some groovy musicians, this can even be a very funky rock song. Very easy, and great for kids and non-readers.
*TiS 657 / CH263 / VU700 / AA50 / CP(E) 447 / Cha656 / SP242 God of freedom God of justice (Murray / Guthrie Foote) Powerful lyrics. Can be sung to either TREDEGAR (new, but not too hard) or PICARDY (very familiar). Lyrics and midi.
TiS 269 / AHB 197 / CH277 / VU29 / LBW35 / ELW239 Hark the glad sound the Savior comes A more traditional choice. Can be sung to CREDITON or CHESTERFIELD. Its language is very old fashioned and may irritate some. Lyrics.
*TiS 410 / AHB 323 / LBW523 / ELW582 / NCH59 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling I like these words, about the Spirit working through the church and God's people, but prefer to sing it to NETTLETON (TiS 392). Lyrics and sound sample.  
ATOK 389 Light of the nations (Mann) A simple song. Lyrics.
VU699 / HPSS332 Live into hope of captives freed. Excellent words from Jane Parker Huber to the familiar tune TRURO. Lyrics (scroll down).
*UMH729 / VU682 / LBW161 / WoV762 ELW627 / HPSS450 / CP573 / W&R539 / Cha711 / URW140 / 82Hml-597 O day of peace that dimly shines (Daw) A song of hoped-for peace. The tune in Chalice hymnal is really nice (CANDLER) or O WALY WALY which is used in URW is very straightforward. Other sources use JERUSALEM, which is a bit too militaristic for me. Lyrics and JERUSALEM sample
*TiS 210 / AHB 141 / NCH42 / CH352 / UMH57 / VU326 / LBW42 / ELW295 / HPP74 / PH466 / CP306 / CP(E) 534 / W&R96 / Cha005 / Srce506 O for a thousand tongues to sing (Wesley) A classic. I particularly love NATIVITY for these words, and it's such a fun tune. My son, who's almost 8, loves it. In the AHB, Christ is masculine, but I think that's okay. Lyrics and one possible tune.
*TiS 179 / NCH273 / VU312 / Iona (Heaven Shall Not Wait) / StJ / GA379 / URW073 Praise with joy the world's Creator My all time favourite Trinitarian hymn. Simple well known tune (Praise my soul the king of heaven), wonderful imagery in the words. Some versions change "Son" to "Christ" to make it more inclusive. Lyrics (scroll down).

GC(II)662 To bring glad tidings to the lowly / You Have Anointed Me (Balhoff / Daigle / Ducote) This is nice. I like how the congregation responds with “You have anointed me”. I think it could be a very powerful experience to sing that as a congregation. Sheet music and tacky sound sample
*StS038 / G(II)486 / GC679 / GC(II)672 When Jesus Worked here on earth (Olson) Nice simple song, to a Celtic-style tune about bringing good news and setting captives free. Sheet music sample. Sound sample. 

Psalm 126
Those who sow in tears shall reap with joy
*AoV1-021 / ATOK 402 / StS114 / G(II)488 / GC682 / GC(II)669 God Has Chosen Me (Farrell) Energetic, and great words of justice. Can be rocky or smooth, however you like it. Good for kids. Lyrics here.
*G(II)110 / GC124 / GC(II)69 / URW326 God Has Done Great Things for Us (Haugen) Lovely words “God has done great things for us. Filled us with laughter and music”. I really like this. Both the cantor part and the refrain are inclusive. Would work well also with the Psalm being read between the refrains. Sheet music and sound sample.
TiS 177 / VU614 In suffering love the thread of life (Johns / WALSALL) A more sombre choice, but comforting
TiS 670 / AoVK-138 / ATE 258 / CH692 / Srce385 Jesus put this song into our hearts (Kendrick) A fun Yiddish tune that gets even more fun if you get faster and faster as you go. Try teaching your congregation a simple side to side “dance” step. If you teach them and make it clear that it’s okay, you’ll be surprised how many people dance to God. Great for kids, too. Lyrics.
URW325 When God first brought us back from exile (Daw) Good words based on the Psalm, and it's sung to WAYFARING STRANGER, which is a very cool tune. Lyrics (downloads a pdf). I can't resist posting a link to a great video of Tim Eriksen singing and playing Wayfaring Stranger.
Online resource: Those who sow in tears (Harding) A simple, joyful round. Available here.
URW327 Wondrous God bring us back to you (Peacock) A simple Psalm prayer. No music. It's just a beautiful little prayer.
*NCH461 Let us hope when hope seems hopeless (Beebe) A lilting tune and good words of hope in the face of difficulty. A song of a maturing faith. Sound sample (long introduction).

Alternative: Luke 1:46b-55
The magnificat 
*G(II)128 / GC147 / GC(II)83 / RS210 / URW020 And Holy Is Your Name (Haas) Lovely words to a simple Celtic tune (WILD MOUNTAIN THYME). Lyrics. Tune.

*MV120 / StS124 / R245 / ELW723 / HPP88 / G(II)376 / GC556 / GC(II)527 / RS678 / URW018 My soul cries out with a joyful shout (Canticle of the Turning) This is my favourite Magnificat! "Could the world be about to turn?" It's sung to a folk tune (STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN). Lyrics. Very folky version on youtube.
*GC(II)362 Dark is the night / Sing Alleluia (O'Brien) Excellent and simple Christmas song which reflects the magnificat and the happiness of Jesus’ parents. I especially like the last verse “Hope for the poor, release for the captive, Love for the outcast, light for weary eyes; Word that brings life, embracing humanity, Jesus, companion be born into our lives”. It would be particularly good for a Christmas eve service. The chorus would also work very nicely on its own. Lead sheet and lyrics. Sound sample.
*VU323 Maker of the sun and moon and mother of the earth (Sharrocks) Wonderful inclusive words, and a beautiful tune, that for me sounds a lot like "Lord Jesus Christ, Lover of All" so melodically ties Advent in with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. You may like to sing it this Sunday and leave the last verse until Christmas day. Highly recommended.
Taizé / GC(II)530 Let Us Sing to the Lord / Benissez le Seigneur A joyous chant. Sound samples, sheet music and translations.
Taizé / Iona (T1AU) / StS012 / GC(II)522 Magnificat “Magnificat amina mea dominum” Taize Magnificat. To be honest, I think it’s kind of funny to sing “Magnificat” as a lyric, but maybe that's just me. There are also alternative English lyrics, which are good if your congregation thinks singing in Latin is quirky. A catchy and happy Taize chant. Sheet music, sound samples, and English translation.
Online resource Magnificat (Harding) A fun magnificat, using the Latin phrase “Magnificat amina mea deum” Sound and sheet music sample.
GC788 / G(II)568 / GC(II)773 All that I am sings (Haas) Nice. Simple refrain. Lead sheet and lyrics.  Sound sample.
*TiS 172 / NCH119 / UMH198 / VU899 / Cha130 My soul gives glory to my God my heart (Miriam Therese Winter / MORNING SONG) Simple and beautiful words to a simple and beautiful tune. Inclusive lyrics. Lyrics (plus lyrics to lots of other magnificats). Scroll down and look for "ecumenical".
GC(II)782 My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of God (Haugen) Nice, simple to sing. Sample sheet music and music sample (search for "My soul proclaims").
GA250 My soul rejoices / Canticle of Mary (Alstott) A simple, hymnlike Magnificat.
*W&R172 For Ages Women Hoped and Prayed (Huber) This is one of those "Coming, but already here songs" of Advent, and could be sung at other times of year, too. Thought-provoking words about what it may have been like for Mary to bear Christ. Lyrics (downloads a large pdf). Set to VOX DILECTI, but could be sung to other tunes. It fits New Britain (the tune for Amazing Grace) quite nicely.
WoV730 / LBW180 / ELW573 / CP363 My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness A very simple hymny Magnificat; there are a few translations of this. WoV is good (I don't know about ELW or CP). Sung to the well known tune KINGSFOLD.
Recorded music: Mary did you know? (Lowry/Greene) The lyrics are really good. I'm no Kenny Rogers fan, but I quite like this. Even better if you can have someone from your congregation sing it. Lyrics and chords here.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 
An entire sermon in one reading.
*TiS 420 Holy Spirit go before us every mind and heart prepare (Elizabeth Smith) Excellent words. Can also sing to AUSTRIA (TiS 93).
*TiS 106 / AHB 14 / AoV1-189 / NCH419 / CH182 / UMH102 / VU236 / LBW534 / ELW840 / HPP283 / HPSS555 / GC565 / GC(II)545 Now thank we all our God / Nun Danket Alle Gott A classic song of thanks. No, it's not inclusive for God, but if balanced with feminine imagery in the rest of the service, I'm okay with that. A few simple substitutions can make it inclusive, too.
*TiS 638 / NCH175 / CH717 / UMH265 / LBW380 / ELW675 / HPSS380 O Christ the healer we have come Beautiful words and simple to sing. Good to sing during intercessions.
TiS 642 / AHB 570 This day God gives me the strength of high heaven Based on the prayer of St. Patrick's breastplate and sung to BUNESSAN (Morning has broken). Lyrics and sign language translation here.
TiS 112 / AHB 30 Through all the changing scenes of life
*TiS 590 / AHB 165 / AoVK-117 / NCH506 / UMH526 / VU663 / LBW439 / ELW742 / HPP408 / PH403 / CP532 / W&R473 / Cha585 / Srce 776 What a Friend we have in Jesus There is a bit of masculine language, but the song has so many other good things about it. I like both tunes. AOVK has different lyrics, written specifically for kids, which I think are worth singing.
*TiS 421 Where the Spirit is there's freedom An excellent joyous upbeat song from the World Council of Churches. Lyrics.

John 1:6-8, 19-28
See also last week's John the Baptist suggestions here. 
*TiS 181 / AoV2-032 / GC(II)497 / CP589 Come O God of all the earth / Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen). Another big favourite. Sheet music, lyrics. Sound sample. Joyous and a big favourite of our congregation. 
*AoV2-003 / ATOK 313 / CH543 / StJ / R127 / ELW715 / GC(II)512 Longing for light we wait in darkness / Christ, be our light (Farrell). One of my favourites, especially if someone can sing or play the descant line in the later verses. Sound and sheet music sample here.
*Worldmaking.net Christ is Coming Ever Coming (Bruxvoort-Colligan) A modern hymn of salvation history. Lyrics and sound sample. Music available online.