My favorite Advent hymns make exquisite use of the minor key and tend to sound rather Medieval. This gives them greater gravitas than the average Christmas carol—a sadder and wiser beauty. Everyone knows "O Come, O Come Emanuel" and Schubert’s "Ave Maria." and deservedly so. However, there are literally hundreds of Advent songs; (we’ve had two thousand years of writing them after all). Below are my top 5 underrated Advent Hymns
#5 Creator of the Stars of Night
Unknown, 7th Century. Translated by John M. Neale
Though very solid overall, this song makes the list because of a single line: "Thou grieving that the ancient curse / should doom to death a universe[...]" If that isn't an epic line, I don't know what is. Tolkien himself could take notes.
#4 Gabriel's Message
Basque Folk Carol, Translated by Sabine Baring-Goud
Okay, I might be a little bit biased towards this one because I’ve sung it as a solo for my church Christmas pageant two years in a row, but I love this song. The marching rhythm elevates the private Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary, coloring it as the epic center-point of human history that it actually is. At the same time, the humility and glory of both Gabriel and Mary are emphasized by the lyrics. Gabriel's wings are of “drifted snow” but his eyes are “of flame.” Mary is a “lowly maiden” but also “most highly favored lady.” It is a beautiful encapsulation of the paradox of salvation history: that the Christ is both gentle lover and fierce king (or perhaps, more biblically, fierce lover and gentle king).#3 The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns
by John Brownlie (1907)
Okay, I full admit that I like this song not because of the theology—though that is very solid—but because it reminds me of the Tolkien poem “The King Beneath the Mountain” I have no evidence to support this, but I suspect that Tolkien was inspired by “The King Shall Come.” Really the driving hope behind both songs is beautiful, and I encourage you to check them out above and below.
#2 People Look East
by Eleanor Farjeon (1928)
It's debatable that this one is actually an Advent song. The argument could be made for it being a Christmas song too. It's also a bit more modern-sounding than the others on the list. With beautiful imagery comparing God to a Guest, a Rose, a Bird , a Star, and finally a Lord. It reminds us to prepare our hearts and home. The very earthy imagery reminds us that the proper enjoyment of created things is in using them to glorify our divine betrothal. I believe it is the perfect song for the cusp between Advent and Christmas.
#1 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
French folk melody based on ancient Greek chant. English poem by Gerard Moultrie
This one is a hard sell to a modern audience. In all the bountiful mercy of a loving God who makes himself small for us, we sometimes forget that he is also the infinite, omniscient, omnipresent capital T TRUTH, capital L LOVE, capital B BEAUTY. This hymn rips away the temple veil and reveals the incarnation for what it is: our last, best chance. Not because God is angry or vengeful, but because HE IS, and anything less than HIM will eventually kill us.  |
| The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner |
I like Advent hymns that encompass C.S. Lewis's famous line about Aslan "'Course he isn't safe, but he is good. He's the King, I tell you." For all the lesser loves I hesitate to submit to His Kingship, I have reason to tremble. For the mercy of the ability to do better today, I have reason to shout for joy. Advent encompasses the full range of the Christian experience: hope and fear, mercy and justice, repentance and reconciliation. We remember Christ's terrible/joyful arrival at the end of time, but also anticipate the humble mercy of his arrival as a baby to die for our sins. It really is a perfectly beautiful season. So don't miss out by rushing right to Christmas. Enjoy the anticipation. Enjoy the music. Enjoy Advent.
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