Music of Advent: An unfolding story

[WORLD Radio Advent 2023 Spotify playlist]

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, December 15th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

This is Week 3 in our series Music of Advent. Last week’s hymns drew inspiration from Isaiah’s prophecies—God’s promise to send a Messiah whose kingdom would never end.

BROWN: This week correspondent Bonnie Pritchett brings us three songs about waiting in hope—the belief that what has been promised will occur.

BONNIE PRITCHETT: Not long after God spoke through Isaiah, God’s people sank deeper into sin and, ultimately, into the hands of captors. In exile—and then back in the promised land—a faithful remnant clung to the truth of Isaiah’s words and prayed in hopeful expectation.

MUSIC: Oh you, O Lord our souls in stillness wait. For you, O Lord our souls in stillness wait. Truly our hope is in you.

Songwriter Sandra McCracken and the band Rain for Roots put prayer to music in this 2015 release, Come Light of our Hearts.

MUSIC: O, Lord of life, our only hope, your radiance shines on all who look to you in the dark. Emmanuel come, come light our hearts. Truly our hope is in you.

Over 700 years later, the priest Zechariah was among the hopeful. While performing his duties in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared and announced that his barren and elderly wife, Elizabeth, would have a son.

MUSIC: [Zechariah’s Song]

In disbelief, Zechariah asked for a sign. In reply, Gabriel declared that he would be mute. The priest could not speak until his son, John, was born.

MUSIC: Praise to the Lord God of Israel. He has been ransom for us. In the house of David he has raised up Salvation for us all…

With his tongue loosed, the old priest blessed God and prophesied saying, “You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the LORD to prepare his way.”

The band Ordinary Time produced this 2016 adaptation of Luke 1:67-79—calling it simply Zecheriah’s Song.

MUSIC: He will show his mercy to us. Mercy that shines bright as the sun and in the shadow of death. He will guide us on to peace...

Only a few months after Gabriel spoke to Zechariah, he visited Mary, a young woman from Nazareth. She was a virgin betrothed to Joseph. Luke 1 chronicles their exchange.

MUSIC: [Gabriel’s Message — Sheku Kanneh-Mason]

An unknown 14th century author encapsulated that passage in a hymn called The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, or Gabriel’s Message.

Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason performs this 2022 version from his EP called, Gabriel’s Message.

In verse two Gabriel proclaims, “I come from heaven to tell the Lord’s decree: a blessed virgin mother you shall be. Your Son shall be Immanual, the seers foretold, most highly favored maiden. Gloria!”

That good news contrasts with the music’s driving rhythm and minor key hinting at things left unsaid, scenes from a story still unfolding.

For WORLD, I’m Bonnie Pritchett.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.