Any suggestions for "modern" advent pieces please?

[nickelbabe]

Me again!

DH & I have been having ongoing discussions about this year's advent service, and because some of the ladies from our sister church have shown interest, (and after the very explosive PCC meeting), i thought it might be nice to include a couple of (sorry MmeBleuberry, I can't avoid the phrase because i can't think of any other description that fits the music style better) happy-clappy pieces for the choir to sing.
It's likely that we will have mostly women - so alto and soprano voices- in the choir for the service.

We don't want anything that has unusual/difficult rhythm, or repetitive verses, or odd things going on in the middle where you think it's going to go "verse, chorus", but it goes "half verse half verse half verse verse chorus half verse refrain something completely differnt verse chorus". I assume that anything that would be suitable for choir only wouldn't have this strangeness in anyway. We also want something that won't feel out of place in a traditional service (eg we have to sing a 4-part Gabriel's Message and the Advent Chorale and traditional advent hymns)

MaMoTTaT, I think you might have some good suggestions for this, as I know you have all the SoF books....

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

Graham Kendrick's "Make Way"?

www.worshiptrax.co.uk/Songs2MP3/MakeWay_MP3.html

It sounds a bit cheesy on that website, but its something that can be easily learnt and fits the season.

Mary - that's exactly the kind of thing we don't want to have!

As a whole, We ahte Graham Kendrick's music, and Make way is a perfect example of the kind of reptitive boring that we're trying to steer clear of.

Thank you for makign a suggestion, though, I really do appreciate it! We're really trying to go for something that still fits in with our Anglican traditions, but that feels like we're making an effort to be welcoming to the sister-church's singers (I worry that they feel we're standoffish and cliquey :( )

i meant to put "hate" not "ahte" but i can't type.....

I like the Calypso Carol:

See him alying on a bed of straw;
draughty stable with an open door,
Mary cradling the babe she bore;
The prince of glory is his name.

Refrain
Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord appear to men;
Just as poor as was the stable then,
The prince of glory when he came.

Star of silver sweep across the skies,
show where Jesus in the manger lies.
Shepherds swiftly from your stupor rise
to see the Saviour of the world.

Refrain
Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord appear to men;
Just as poor as was the stable then,
The prince of glory when he came.

Mine are riches from thy poverty,
From thine innocence, eternity;
Mine, forgiveness by thy death for me,
Child of sorrow for my joy.

Refrain
Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord appear to men;
Just as poor as was the stable then,
The prince of glory when he came.

Angels, sing agan the song you sang,
bring God's glory to the heart of man;
Sing the Bethl'hem's little baby can
be salvation to the soul.

Refrain
Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord appear to men;
Just as poor as was the stable then,
The prince of glory when he came.

I have to confess I'm always a little at this idea of modern stuff being repetitive.......when many of the best loved hymns are 5/6/7 verses - identical tune, and many of the tunes have repeated lines

anyhow.......unfortuantely I don't have the SoF books

It's just about the only hymn book(s) I don't have but want.

One day I'm going to treat myself - but with the prices being £25+ for the full music editions........

I shall have a think and get back to you on this one - my brain is slightly mush right now, I'm waiting on pizzza to be delivered, I still need to tidy the dining room, bath the boys and have a hymn planning meeting at 8 -

We had this one sung last year as a duet (I hadn't realised until I googled that it's Kenderick) - but if you've got a nice voice or 2 I do actually think it's a lovely song

\link{\Thorns in the Straw)

(quite a useful one actually as it can be used for Christmas or Easter )_

actually this is a worse quality video - but a much better rendition imo \link{\here}

hmmm - going to have to have a good think on this - we generally only have a Carol Service (Sunday before Christmas) and no special Advent service - so many of the ones I'm thinking of are more "Christmas" than advent

I agree re Thorns in the Straw - it's a really powerful piece. Another is Like a Candle Flame but that's also Kendrick I'm afraid!!

Trying to think of some more contemporary Christmas pieces, there are some powerful ones out there. Have you come across an Amy Grant one called 'Breath of Heaven', it's a powerful song too and would be good with a choir and lead female singer?

will have a think for more....we do have all the SoF plus the soul survivor books so will have a look. I know Chris Tomlin did a Christmas album last year which may have some decent stuff on it :)

ok - I'm cheating a bit here - got the Sunday by Sunday (RSCM one) in front of me - looking at hymns for Advent (although I do often look at ones suggested and go "eh - how does that tie in - but anyhow - shall list some of the advent ones regardless)

among ones suggested for various Sundays in advent are

In Christ Alone - this is a lovely one actually - quite a "traditional" feel to the music as well - straight 4 verses - no "silly repeats"

Hills of the North Rejoice - ok an older one - but it's great - and got a nice modern feel to it (I always have this first Sunday of advent as it's one of my favourite hymns )

Colours of Day -

ermmm - that's about it - there really don't seem to be many "modern" Advent ones - just Christmas

Chris Tomlin

Though that more christmas than advent I guess....the Breath of Heaven one more fits the bill poss?

LOL at praise songs being repetitive....

The First Noel, and Hark the Herald, anyone?

well - to be fair Hark the Herald is only 3 verses long - and if you do the descant to the 3rd verse it's a totally different accompaniment

Even the first noel sung from "5 Carols" (or is that one in "3 Carols?" is totally different each verse with each of the parts getting a go at the tune...........

ah, we know In Christ Alone.

I've just realised that I might have been a bit misleading - we're after choir pieces (that the choir sings without congregation), not hmyns - I was thinking Songs of Fellowship because it would save us having to buy anything - but if there were tried and tested anthems/motets etc that people know of, then we could risk buying the sheet music. (obv helps if you have links to the sounds)

thank you for all these suggestions - I'll listen throught them all and give my opinions after.

(i love this Thorns in the Straw so far - it's beautiful)

and to justify my obvious rant about the repetitive music - i didn't mean loads of verses, I meant that each line of each verse has only one or two notes.
so the first line goes EEEEEDEEEEE
and the second EEDDDDDEEEE
then it goes BABCCCCCCddddeeefffffggggggggg (where the little letters are very high)

and sorry, Mme Blueberry - we have to avoid Christmas stuff, because baby jesus is on his way, he hasn't been born yet. So although Calypso one is nice, it's not what we're looking for.

I do like this breath of heaven, too.
examples given so far are lovely, but a bit slow.
I was hoping for something that sounded less "concerty"

thank you all so much for your input.

More please! :)

Because I'm not in a place where I can get to the actual music, here's a link to Owen Alstott's compositions. He's a modern RC composer of liturgical music, anthems, psalm settings etc and they're lovely. We've sung some of them with four-part choirs, and they're part traditional, but definitely not "happy-clappy". His wife Bernadette Farrell writes some cracking stuff too -

www.ocp.org/artists/101#tab:compositions

And here is that site's list of advent music -

www.ocp.org/compositions/keyword/100297/100137

lovely, thank you Dandy - I'll have a listen to those! :)

at him not having been born yet - does that mean you don't sing any Christmas stuff at your Christmas Carol service (which I presume is before Christmas day

That thorns in the straw is lovely isn't it - I was actually quite suprised when I looked it up on you tube and realised it was Kenderick - don't mind most of his stuff (though Like a Candle Flame does my flaming head in - unless it's sung my a nice choir doing the chorus properly and then it's ok) but it's a little bit "meh" - he was obviously having an very inspired day when he wrote that one

[stick tongue out]
you know what i mean! we have an advent service and a nine lessons and carols - they are both very different in terms of music!
we have a number of congregational hymsn, which may not be touched! (you, know O Comme Emmanuel, Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending etc) and the choir pieces are on a cycle - we always have the advent chorale and gabriel's message and normally adam lay ybounden. Normally there's a couple of items that i don't (like there is no rose - it's lovely, but we don't sing it well....)

at inspired day - he's had one inspired day, then !

Actually some of his more recent stuff isn't so bad - the older stuff can be rather "meh"

There is no rose is beautiful when it's sung well.........sung badly and it's awful isn't it.

I shall keep having a think for you - but asking for modern choral pieces for advent is quite a stretch

it seems to be a challenge.
love it. :)

ooooo there's this one - can't believe I didn't think of this one las night - I love Robin Mark

\link{\here}

Your "happy clappy" friends from the other church are bound to know it as well.

(but omg - just don't listen to \link{\this} version of it - they're murdered it (bearing in mind the first link I put of it is the writer himself singing it..........