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!

ooh, that is good.
I'll put it to the choirmaster.

the second version isn't necessarily murdering it, but it is a little excessively drawn-out, isn't it.....

PMSL @ "putting it to the choirmaster" -

if you particularly like something, and he doesn't - can you, ermm, put in special requests with payment in lieu

i can't believe you think i would offer to the choirmaster! what kind of girl do you think i am!!

Is it in SoF? if so, I can show it to him and persuade him to try it - after all, i got the 20th century hymn tune version of When I survey the Wondrous Cross (although, not on Good Friday- it came up in the lectioanry later in the year)

ahhh - now not sure if it's in SoF.....

ahhh now one modern tune I do think suits better - and is more uplifting is Hatherop Castle for O Jesus I have promised.

I love that one - think I may have it for my funeral when I pop my clogs (hopefully many years from now ).

Although my choices change regularly LOL

ahhh \link{http://revdhj.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/days-of-elijah-some-old-testament-heroes\according to this it's in SoF)

Arf at that second version of Days of Elijah, MaMot!!

Glad you're finding some nickelbabe - will continue having a think.

I love love love O Come, O Come Emmanuel - one of my favourite hymns - something so hauntingly beautiful about it when it's done proper :)

madhair - the phrase "if it 'aint broke don't fix it" spring to mind

yes, I love the Hatherop Castle tune.
We have three that we choose from, including that, Highwood and Thornbury.
Highwood normally wins because our late choirmaster was a Highwood.

thanks madhairday :)

yes - we've got 3 in our book - thankfully even the old dears at church like Hatherop so that always wins

This one has slightly eschaton-ish lyrics it's a contemporary hymn that's being sung more and more, if you can get past the somewhat Carpenters-esque version here.

There's a carol that I think is by Rutter that chorus goes
"See his star
Shining Bright
In the sky this Christmas Night
Follow me, [something something]
Hurry to Bethlehem to see the son of Mary"

Def modern but not out of place in a service (I'm sure someone else can find a link, or know what the heck I'm going on about.

Mme- could you tell me who wrote the Calypso Carol, ,as I'm sure when I was a girl a friend (at a different school) insisted it had been writen by her teacher

MaMo!

CaptainNancy - we have done that a few times - we would keep it for the Nine Lessons and Carols service, though. :)

Just going to listen to madhair's O church Arise.

(DH has come in for lunch, now, so he will enjoy being played these tunes! )

Captain - that's possibly too Christmassy - they're needing more advent ones.

Michael perry wrote Calpyso Carol

he was a Canon, so possible that he taught RE in her school??

He wasn't a Canon. There were two Michael Perry's in the C of E. Rev Michael Perry who wrote the Calypso Carol was an evangelical vicar associated with Jubilate Hymns publishing. He is not the same person as Canon Michael Perry who was the Archdeacon of Durham

Nowadays, very sadly, in hymnbooks, they have altered the original words to the Calypso Carol, and it's not as good as it was.

We don't sing Christmas (ie nativity) carols until three or four days before Christmas Day at our church. Just Advent songs and hymns in the run up to Christmas.

well I guess the hymn society of GB and NI got it wrong then \link{http://www.hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/obituaries-hs.htm#Perry\wonder why they haven't been asked to change}

okay.
DH has listened to O Church Arise and said No, as it's not suitable for the time of year.

However, I played him both versions of the Graham Kendrick, and he said he didn't think much of it, but we did a search for a choral version of it, and we found one here and we've ordered a copy to have a proper look at.
As we have a lot of ladies expressing an interest (from the other church) and it's quite heavy on sops, we thought it might be doable - we're not going to try as a solo, but as one half of the ladies doing verse 1, one half doing verse 2, the ones who did verse 1 do the underparts on verse 2, then go into normal 4 parts where it does.

keep suggesting though, as we might not like it after all - and he says we're only allowed to do it for ONE choral piece, because he's a boring old fart proper tradiionalist.

we're starting with Break Forth o Beauteous Heavenly Light

tell him he's a fussy bugger

well found on the choral version of it.

I shall keep thinking - although tonight I REALLY need to get the church newsletter for this week finished off

he said the song wasn't offensive or make his teeth chatter or his ears go (and I quote) "sherhshehehdhshshehehsdhdhd"

that's traditionalist speak for "well actually it's quite nice - but I can't possibly admit to it because it's not only modern but it's Kendrick"

Do go on with Thorns in the Straw, it's lovely.

You might like Peace Child by Mike Burn, I don't know if it's in SATB but you can buy the sheet music and CD and maybe arrange it?

I've done a few Advent carol services in my time (university choir) and we did just go for Christmas carols since there are hundreds of them. Otherwise it's O Come O Come Emmanuel and not much else.

Another modern Christmas song is From the Squalor of A Borrowed Stable by Stuart Townend, it's great fun to sing ( in songs of Fellowship 3). You will have to google for it as I can only find slight weird versions.

(that's exactly what i thought when i listened to it the first time! )

Peace Child is too slow, I'm afraid, and too christmassy - if we have stuff about christmas at advent, we like it to be "christ is coming" or the full story of his life, rather than just christmas.

Don't worry, we have lots and lots of traditional advent stuff!

thansk for looking, thouhg greenlotus :)