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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

December 7, 2008 By

candle

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

One of the things I really like about the season of Advent is the singing — I love to hear, and to sing the Advent carols. And, I guess, my favourite has got to be “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.

The words we know and love today come from a mid-19th century translation, by John Mason Neale, of a 12th century Latin hymn.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

It’s believed that the traditional music stems from a 15th Century French processional for Franciscan nuns, but it may also have 8th Century Gregorian origins. It’s one of the most solemn Advent hymns.

Here’s a beautiful recording of Aled Jones singing this classic:

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About Paul Sibley

Reflecting on life, faith, and the prayers we pray in the Church of England:
Paul is a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), serving in the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Godmanchester. For more about Paul please see this page.