CLEF Life Resources

Songs for Advent

The Advent season is a time of waiting and preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ. This important liturgical season also calls us to reflect on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the accompanying themes of justice and welcoming the stranger among us.

When choosing songs for Advent, we can draw from these general themes, as well as the message within the Sunday readings.

Songs for Advent: waiting and preparation

Emmanuel” by Steve Angrisano (OCP) pairs the familiar verses of the traditional “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” with an original melody and refrain in a contemporary arrangement. Either the traditional version or Angrisano’s version fit well with any Sunday of the Advent season.

Trevor Thompson’s “The King Shall Come” (OCP) is another contemporary arrangement of a traditional hymn with themes of light and joy.

My Soul in Stillness Waits” by Marty Haugen (GIA Publications) is a beautiful text and melody that embraces the waiting of the Advent season.

Prepare” by the Greg Pierson and Stephan Young is an original song inspired by Isaiah 40:3, “Prepare ye the way for the Lord.” Not yet published, the song is available by request through the Pierson-Young Project.

Another song that focuses on the coming of the Lord and the call to prepare is “Awake to the Day” by Ed Bolduc (GIA Publications).

Based on the O Antiphons, “Come to Us” by Greg Walton (OCP) with its refrain of “Come to us, O Lord of Glory” can be used throughout the Advent season and into Christmas with an included alternate refrain.

Songs for Advent: justice and welcome

You, The Christ” by Ian Callahan (GIA Publications) speaks to how each of us is called to care for the stranger. With words by Shirley Erena Murray, the song begins with “Stranger, standing at my door, you disturb me in the night: you have needs I can’t ignore, you have eyes that speak your plight.”

Sarah Hart’s “See What Love” (OCP) celebrates the Incarnation and the beauty of God coming to us. The lyrics remind us that we are all called to be a heart that welcomes God — an important reminder during both the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Here Am I” by Daniel Charles Damon and Brian Wren (Hope Publishing) is a reflective piece with references to the homeless and poor.

Marty Haugen’s “Let Justice Roll Like a River” (GIA) with its lyrics of “Come O God and take us, move and shake us,” calls us all to the work of justice.

A good option for the Communion procession in the season of Advent is Tony Alonso’s “Come to the Table” (GIA Publications), which has standard verses and alternate verses for Advent.

Songs for Advent: additional recommendations

Hail, Holy Queen” by Bobby Fisher (OCP) is an original melody and arrangement for a beloved Marian text, which can be used for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception or the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Creator of the Stars of Night” is a simple chant melody available in many hymnals, as well as in new arrangements from various composers.

These songs for Advent represent only a small portion of the music available for the liturgical season of Advent. We encourage you to reflect on the themes of the season and the readings, explore what’s available in your hymnal, and browse the Advent resources from GIA Publications and OCP.

This article was compiled from suggestions by members of the CLEF community, with the publisher of each song noted in parenthesis. Some may be available in your community’s hymnal, while others are available in print or digital format from the publisher.

Copyright © 2024 Catholic Liturgical Ensemble Formation

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