Hymn Blog - December 4, 2011

December 4, 2011 – Advent II

VU 5 – All Earth Is Waiting. Catalonian words and music are by Alberto Taulé, a Catholic priest from Catalonia, who has had more than 35 of his hymns published in the official hymnal of the Roman Catholic church in Spain. The English translation is by Gertrude C. Suppe, a Californian who, in addition to many translations, has produced the only computer database of all Hispanic church music in current use. The hymn is very popular in Latin America, where its text picks up the themes of the indigenous liberation theology.

VU 7 – Hope Is a Star. Singing this hymn during the lighting of the advent candles has become a tradition at TSP. We sing the second stanza today, and add a stanza each week throughout Advent. The text is by Brian Wren, and was written in 1985 for Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Chicago. The lovely setting, MOON BEAMS, was composed by Joan Collier Fogg in 1987.

MV 143 – We Cannot Own the Sunset Sky. This Ruth Duck text focuses on our stewardship of God’s creation. Duck, professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois is a United Church of Christ minister in the U.S.A. The setting, LA GRANGE, is by Minnesotan Marty Haugen. Haugen comes from a Lutheran tradition, and his hymns are found in many Catholic and Protestant hymnbooks in North America and farther afield.

MV 11 – Come, Come Emmanuel. Our chorus during communion is this simple refrain, whose words and music are by Fr. Jim Chepponis, a priest of the Pittsburgh Diocese, ordained in 1985. He received his bachelor's degree in music from St. Fidelis College/Slippery Rock University, with a major in organ and a minor in voice. Fr. Chepponis received a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He has served the Pittsburgh diocese as Director of the Office of Music Ministry, and his work has included providing music for all diocesan liturgies, directing the Diocesan Choir, coordinating the Pittsburgh chapter for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and the Director of Music Ministries division, and serving as music resource person for parishes throughout the Pittsburgh Diocese.

VU 1 – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. This is one of seven medieval ‘Great O Antiphons’ traditionally sung in conjunction with the Magnificat during the week before Christmas. The text given here is a revised version of J.M. Neale’s translation for his Medieval Hymns (1851). Each stanza features a Hebrew scripture name for the Messiah. Note that stanza two (newly restored in this resource) calls on Wisdom, which scripture names as feminine- hence the possessive ‘her’ in the fourth line. The stanzas of this hymn form a litany for the coming of the Saviour, with layers of meaning: his coming as the Babe of Bethlehem, his coming into our hearts, his final coming in glory. The plainsong melody, VENI EMMANUEL, comes from a 15^th century French processional book, and was arranged by Healey Willan.