Story Behind The Song

A timeless Advent chant sung in many churches worldwide which pleads for the Messiah to come.

Song Description

We begin as if standing at the edge of a canyon with the wind blowing. The timeless chant of the ancient Advent carol echoes through the canyons. Then we move to a church or monastery, then to village streets where a minstral joins on the mandolin. At last, on the very last verse as the wind is replaced by the hustle and bustle of a city, a female sings, representing women finally having a voice in the modern church.

Lyrics

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (traditional)
Advent is a time of yearning, preparation and reflection. This traditional advent chant evokes a timelessness I wanted to emphasize in my interpretation. I used harmonies which I think sound ancient but which don't follow ancient rules. I wanted to bring up images of monks in the middle section, including use of falsetto on high notes, and then, finally, on the last verse my niece Ellie Schaefer sings, symbolizing the very recent ways in which women have finally been able to use their voices in many churches after centuries of being silenced.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appears

Chorus
Rejoice, Rejoice
Emmanuel shall come to thee,
Oh Israel

O Come, thou wisdom from on high
Who ord'rest all things mightily
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach is in her ways to go

Chorus

O Come, Thou Key of David, Come
And open wide our heav'nly home
Make straight the way that leads to thee
And close the path to misery

Chorus

O Come thou Lord of Nations,
bind in one the hearts of all human kind
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
and be thyself our Prince of Peace

Chorus

©2016 arranged by Johnny Schaefer-Auditory Verve Music, ASCAP

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