Songs, Hymns and Music for the Annunciation (March 25 2025)

Isaiah 7:10-14
God's sign to Ahaz; a young woman will have a son and call him Immanuel

• Online Resource / ACS902 Come now O God when our love is forsaken (David Bjorlin) Reflective words of seeking for God to come in the midst of sadness. Set to a traditional folk tune, which may not be familiar, so will need to be taught. Or perhaps the congregation could just listen. Sound sample, sheet music and lyrics sample and purchasing options.
• W&R172 For Ages Women Hoped and Prayed (Jane Parker 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. Set to VOX DILECTI, but could be sung to other tunes. It fits New Britain (the tune for Amazing Grace) quite nicely.
• NCH107 / LBW633 / ELW242 / GtG107 / GC346 / GC(II)351 / G(3)423 / W&R160 / Cha138 / Lau157 Awake Awake and greet the new morn (Marty Haugen) Although this is usually sung in Advent, I think you could sing it in the Epiphany season. Lyrics, sound samples & sheet music.
• ATFG514 Emmanuel Carol / God of light we are waiting for you (Gael Berberick) This is a lovely song; you will need to teach it, but once it's known, it's pretty easy.  Sample sheet music.
• TiS 265 / AHB 193 / AoV1-174 / NCH116 / CH273 / UMH211 / VU001 / LBW034 / ELW283 / GA285 / HPP92 / GtG088 / PH009 / GC317 / GC(II)323 / G(3)395 / CP089 / CP(E) 32 / W&R154 / Cha119 / 82Hml-056 / Lau112 / StF180 / MP493 O come O come Emmanuel (Psaleroilum Cantionum Catholicarum) A very well known ancient Advent carol. Most versions are pretty inclusive. Lyrics and history. There are also two alternate versions (one by Sue Wickham and one by John Henson), set to the same tune, but with more modern lyrics and ideas. Search the Facebook Group for lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• NCH131 / CH303 / UMH218 / VU44 / LBW054 / ELW282 / HPP128 / PH038 / GtG123 / GC367 / GC(II)379 / G(3)433 / CP140/1 CP(E) 56 / W&R191 / Cha153 / Srce2-289 / 82Hml-089 / Lau135 / StF205 / MP345 It came upon the midnight clear (Edmund Sears) One of those few carols that is really more of an Advent hymn. Lyrics vary widely across the hymnals, but some are quite inclusive, like NCH, VU, CH, PH. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 279 / AHB 212 / SFFS 2091 / HPP158 / GC487 / GC(II)494 / CP632 / Lau107 The King of glory comes the nation rejoices (Willard Jabusch) Fun and energetic song to a traditional Israeli folk melody. A good processional. Lyrics. Good for kids.

Psalm 45 
A psalm of adoration, with overflowing heart and fragrant robes and judgement...

• PfAS045B The throne of God is righteousness (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) A simple Psalm refrain to a familiar hymn tune (EIN FESTE BURG). Lyrics.
• Taizé / TiS 731 /  SFFS 2017 / GtG155 / G(II)377 / GC557 / GC(II)535 / G(3)618 / W&R212 / PfAS100G / URW383 / Lau691 Raise a song of gladness / Jubilate Servite (Taize) Glorious, fun round. If your congregation balks at singing in Latin, it can be sung in English as "Raise a song of gladness, all the earth, Christ has come, bringing peace, joy to every heart, Alleluia Alleluia, Joy to every heart (x2)". This is not a Gloria, but it has the feel of one! Sound sample. 
• AoV2-068 / VU695 God is passionate life (Colleen Fulmer) Good simple round with a peace / justice focus. Lyrics and a kind of odd sound sample.  Good for kids.
• Online Resource / TiS 654 / NCH362 / UMH643 / VU489 / WoV749 / G(II)628 / GC865 / GC(II)856 / G(3)966 / W&R612 / Cha499 / Lau416 When love is found and hope comes home (Brian Wren) Lovely words to the tune O WALY WALY celebrating loving relationships through all their changes. While this is often sung at weddings, I think it would also work in the context of a standard service. Lyrics and sample sheet music. New words to old tunes.
• CH115 / MV089 / Iona (Love from Below) / A&M722 / SP292 Love is the touch of intangible joy (Alison Robertson) Great words of different kinds of love – deep friendship, romantic love (love is the lilt in a lingering voice), and the love of God, set to a simple tune. Each verse ends with the affirming phrase: "God is where love is, for love is of God". Lyrics (scroll). Lovely sound sample.
• SgTJ1029 / MV094 Love knocks and waits (Daniel Damon) Lovely words of assurance and a simple lilting melody. Lyrics and sheet music.
• NCH540 We plant a grain of mustard seed (Mary Bryan Matney) A song about how human love is a taste of divine love. Great words to a fairly standard-sounding (but new) hymn tune. It would also work well with MORNING SONG (the tune for “Awake, awake to love and work”). Lyrics (downloads pdf). New words to old tunes.
• VU769 God has blessed you forever and ever (Russian Orthodox) A lovely simple response to this Psalm. Can be sung with a responsive reading as set out in VU. Nice if you can build in the harmonies, but fine if you can't. 
• MV085 / StJ / ELW814 / HPP319 / GtG698 / GC(II)692 / G(3)795 / SP130 / PfAS045B / URW441 / Lau395a / StF781 / LUYH741 Take O Take Me As I Am (Iona Community) A lovely simple chant. PfAS uses it as a refrain to a reading of the Psalm. Sound sample.
• AoVK-12 God is our shelter truly a friend indeed (Chris O'Hara) Groovy little round / more like a call and response really. Good for kids. Lyrics.

Alternative Psalm: Psalm 40:5-10  
God hears and helps.

• Tune In / Online Resource Like the sun upon my skin / God’s Mercy (Sheree Anderson) A beautiful ballad about recognising God's mercy in the everyday. Lyrics, sound sample, free downloadable songbook.
• Online Resource You grow like the moss draping soft sodden logs (Hannah Brown) Gentle words about God as growing moss, moving mountain and ebbing ocean, and a call to slow down and trust. Sung to an old shape note tune which will not be familiar but is very simple. Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
• Emergent Psalter You are my help and my rescuer (Isaac Everett) A simple and lovely Psalm refrain to Psalm 40. Sample sheet music. You can also alternate between these two refrains as described in the book.
• SP&P155 O God please rescue me (Angela Salvaggione) An upbeat paraphrase of Psalm 40.  
• Recorded Music 40 (U2) This classic song from U2 is based on Psalm 40 and would be good to include in a worship service. Thanks to Peter Champion for this suggestion. Youtube.
• Online Resource / Iona (Common Ground, Ps PPP) / CH31 / GtG651 / PfAS040B / URW266 I waited patiently for God (John Bell) Surprisingly positive for such a gloomy Psalm (Psalm 40). Lyrics. Can be sung to NEW BRITAIN / AMAZING GRACE as well, but can also be sung to the William Billings tune LEWIS-TOWN. Sheet music for purchase. New words to old tunes.
• Iona (M&G) / CH267 / StB264 Blest be God blest be God for ever (Salvator Martinez) Beautiful words to a beautiful, but tricky Philippino melody (unless you have a Philippino congregation, in which case it's just a familiar folk tune). This would be great to ask a small group to sing if you have some good singers in your congregation. Works especially nicely with a guitar. Sound sample & story.
• GA445 / G(II)421 / GC597 / GC(II)581 / G(3)676 I Say "Yes," Lord / Digo "Sí," Señor (Brenda Pena) A simple song which speaks of sticking with God through good times and bad. Lyrics and sample sheet music. Sound sample.
• Cha740a God your mercy is upon us as we place our trust in you Responsive psalm with joyous sung refrain to a familiar hymn tune.
• TiS 560 / AHB 465 / NCH408 / CH192 / UMH132 / VU654/655 / WoV782 / ELW757 / A&M584 / CP529 / CP(E) 368 / Cha088 / Srce2-15 / 82Hml-665 / Lau959 / StF455 / MP016 All my hope on God is founded / is firmly grounded (Joachim Neander) Most translations of this well known German hymn (including the more recent adaptation by Fred Pratt Green) are not inclusive, but the NCH and WoV are, so if you have those books (BUC people, we have NCH and WoV). Updated version of the lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Taizé / TiS 741 / AoV1-017 / ATE 282 / LBW368 / ELW751 / GA431 / SFFS 2200 / GtG471 / G(II)410 / GC586 / GC(II)566 / G(3)666 / W&R484 / Srce519 / URW390 / Lau929 / PfAS013A / PfAS102A / MP908O Lord hear my prayer (Jacques Berthier) A simple and very well known Taizé chant. Works well during intercessions. You could read the Psalm between repeats of this chant, or just use as a chant as is. Sheet music samples. Good for kids 
• CH573 / UMH523 / GtG789 / StB059 Jesus Savior Lord lo to thee I fly / Saranam Saranam (Sri Lankan) I think this would be an excellent song to sing, not only because the words are good and because the tune is simple and beautiful, but because we need to keep praying for the people of Sri Lanka. Sound sample (youtube).
• Chalice Praise 9 New Song (Number 40) (Andra Moran & Elson) This song is a versatile arrangement of this Psalm. With call-and-response verses and a simple refrain, I think this would be a big hit in many congregations. Thanks to Laura Kittrell for this suggestion. Sound sample (scroll down) - while this recording has a quite distinct pop-country music style, this is not the only way the song could be used - arrange it to suit your congregation (e.g. I think our congregation would cringe at the "La la la la la yeah" final chorus, but others might just love it)
• CH541 Lord I pray if today (Jean Keegstra-DeBoer) Very simple words, quite childlike, but memorable.
• TiS 23 O Lord do not withold your mercy (Don Saliers) A really lovely and simple refrain.
• ATW 480 On the day I called you answered me Lord (Bernadette Farrell) A simple song.
• Taizé / CH276 / VU22 / GtG090 / ELW262 / GA283 / A&M053 / G(II)256 / GC332 / GC(II)340 / G(3)406 / CP094 / W&R166 / PfAS037B / SP28 / URW396 / Lau088 Wait for the Lord (Jacques Berthier) Wait for the Lord whose day is near, wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart. A lovely simple Taize chant; some sources have cantor lines, and some older sources are not inclusive. Sheet music, translations and sound samples.
• TiS 754 / SFFS 2055 / HPP457 / Cha554 / PfAS032B / Srce2-686 / MP793 You are my hiding-place (Michael Ledner) Very mushy, but somehow very satisfying and soothing. Particularly mushy sound sample and lyrics.Good for kids.
• NCH565 / LBW408 / ELW678 / GtG716 / PH422 / CP601 / W&R572 / Cha606 / URW091 God whose giving knows no ending (Rusty Edwards) Excellent more formal words of thanks for God's many good gifts to us. Can be sung to a range of tunes including BEACH SPRING, HYFRYDOL, AUSTRIAN HYMN, RUSTINGTON. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.

Hebrews 10:4-10
Christ did God's will.

• Iona (Common Ground, M&G, T1AU) / CH805 / MV151 / StJ / A&M412  / ELW741 / G(II)416 / GC592 / SP210 / URW440 / StF760 Your will be done on earth, O Lord / Mayenziwe 'ntando yakho (South African - Xhosa) This is a really good South African song, simple to sing, beautiful harmonies and would work well for reflection for reflection, sung slowly. Maybe it could even be sung in a minor key? Sound sample. Good for kids.
• Lost resource I delight to do your will (Dean Spalding) I am a little entranced with this lovely simple chant that Dean Spalding sent through. It's designed for repetitive singing, and builds beautifully with a number of (optional) parts. Unfortunately it's not online anymore and I can't find it. This is here to remind me to look for it more diligently some day. 
• God Comes Tomorrow (Iona) Give us this year (Iona) Beautiful words seeking a more mature response to Christmas, sung to an old hymn tune (NEUMARK); suitable for Advent, not so much for the feast of the Annunciation. The tune is not familiar, but is not difficult to sing, and if you have a choir, sounds particularly lovely. New words to old tunes.  Lyrics. 

Luke 1:26-38
The Annunciation

• Online Resource A word went out to Mary (Hannah Brown) Beautiful new poetry, with floral imagery, set to the tune ES IST EIN ROS' ENTSPRUNGEN. Sheet music sample and lyrics and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
• Online Resource Hey Mary! (Malcolm Gordon & Sam Gordon) A lovely children's song about the annunciation. It captures the surprise and the universality of God's arrival to each of us. Youtube and sheet music.  
• CH291 When out of poverty is born (Kathy Galloway) An excellent set of words for Advent that reflects on God's good news for the poor and the strength of Mary's faith. Set to the familiar tune KINGSFOLD. Lyrics. New words to old tunes. 
• Seeds of Faith I Bring You Good News (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) This is a great little song for kids “Mary, Mary do not be afraid. I bring you good news, good good news!”. Very simple and fun. Nice sound sample (with kids singing!) and lyrics/theology. Good for kids.
• GA445 / G(II)421 / GC597 / GC(II)581 / G(3)676 I Say "Yes," Lord / Digo "Sí," Señor (Brenda Pena) A simple song which speaks of sticking with God through good times and bad. Lyrics and sample sheet music. Sound sample.
• Online Resource / TiS 287 / ACS906 /  CH287 / GtG101 / StS011 / GC(II)768 / G(3)876 No wind at the window (John Bell) Wonderful words to the familiar Celtic tune COLUMCILLE that focus on Mary's decision to say "Yes" to God. Very easy to sing. Works well for Advent and Christmas. Sheet music sample (with lyrics) and purchasing options. Sound sample. Lyrics.
• GC(II)781 O Mary of Promise (Steven Warner) A lovely song to a gentle tune. This will probably be too Marian for some.  Lyrics and leader sheet. Sound sample..
• TiS 658 / AoV1-090 / ATE 296 / CH251 / UMH593 / VU509 / WoV752 / ELW574 / GA496 / A&M494 / HPP541 / GtG069 / PH525 / G(II)492 / GC(II)671 / G(3)777 / CP(E) 470 / W&R559 / Cha452 / Srce328 / Lau865 I the Lord of sea and sky / Here I am Lord (Dan Schutte) Song of God searching for us and our response. Very slow sound sample. Lyrics and sample sheet music. Good for kids.
• G(II)563 / GC781 / GC(II)777 / G(3)458 I Sing a Maid (Michael Joncas) This telling of the role of Mary would be good sung by a soloist during part of the service, although some may find it too strongly Marian. The tune will be known to Australians as “with my swag all on my shoulder”. Lyrics, sheet music and (slow!) sound sample.
• G(II)506 / GC(II)676 / G(3)794 There Is a Mountain / I am for you (Rory Cooney) Lovely words, but probably too tricky for a congregational song. Good words about God speaking through the flame with the words "I am for you". Could be sung with a few less verses than written, if you like. Sound sample.
• Poem The angel and the girl are met (Edwin Muir) A beautiful transformative poem about the meeting of Mary and Gabriel. Poem.
• Recorded music / Soloist song I have travelled many moonless nights / Breath of Heaven  (Amy Grant) Yes! Amy Grant! This song beautifully captures some of the uncertainty that Mary  may have faced, feelings that many expectant mothers could relate to! This could also be a good song for Mother's Day. Youtube. Thanks to MiMiH for this suggestion.