Preparing the Way with Beautiful Advent Music

While the secular world gears up for Christmas earlier and earlier each year (only to desert it long before January 1st), we are also witnessing a robust contrast in the increasing conviction on the part of Catholic families and communities to reclaim the Advent season. Without too much additional effort, Advent music can accompany the many traditions we observe in our homes and classrooms, creating a seasonally appropriate atmosphere of worship that prepares the heart and mind for the coming of the Christ Child!

As there has already been much written (and written well) on the topic, I’ve attempted to catalogue meaningful resources that I pray can be of assistance to you as you journey through this precious season.

For those arranging a Caroling event:

If you are looking for the lyrics to some of the most popular Advent hymns in the public domain, you can find them readily in printable format at:

https://www.liturgytools.net/2022/11/free-advent-songsheet.html

These hymns, such as On Jordan’s Bank and Come Now Long Expected Jesus are as beautiful as they are rhythmically accessible. (Liturgytools.net is also so good as to provide additional links to websites that make these hymns available modern notation.)

For the enthusiastic listener:

The below article published by ClassicFM magazine is a veritable treasury of video performances, among them, melodies well-known stateside as well as those we might be less familiar with that are part of the English choral repertoire:

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/advent-carols-hymns/

For the reticent practicer of musical instruments who needs a good carrot-and-stick this holiday season:

https://www.christmasmusicsongs.com/ supplies O Come, O Come Emmanuel in just about every possible commonplace transcription. With free arrangements for piano, standard band and orchestral instruments, guitar, and voice, there is something for everyone. (After Advent, you can keep the practice momentum going with their sizable –and also free– collection of Christmas and traditional wintertime melodies).

For the aficionado of Latin and chant:

Veni, Veni Emmanuel & Alma Redemptoris Mater

Two beloved staples of the Advent season are generously made available at The Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki) in modern typeset PDFs for those who might find traditional chant notation intimidating. https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/ Veni, Veni Emmanuel can serve as an opportunity to familiarize oneself with the treasures that are the O Antiphons and deepen one’s appreciation for Latin, as the syllables in the language of the Church are gorgeously conducive to the singing of the melody. Alma Redemptoris Mater is the traditional Marian hymn associated with Vespers I during Advent until Vespers II of the Feast of the Purification. For those who simply want to enjoy these glorious pieces, the internet has no shortage of exemplar recordings available to the public.