Light the Advent Candle (x)

[gwyn]

This hymn/song is potentially a good one though lacking in its current form any reference to the substance of the Sundays of Advent or to the season itself.

I invite the Forum to contribute more liturgically appropriate verses.

It's a 7777 meter (metre?) verse (ie, each line is made up of seven syllables) odd-numbered syllables have the emphasis.

The chorus/refrain is fair as it stands but could do with some tweaking:

Candle, candle burning bright,
shining in the cold winter night,
Candle, candle burning bright,
fill our hearts with Christmas light.

I'm thinking of it as the Forum Pre-Christmas get-together, you're a party-pooper if you don't contribute at least one line.

[docmattc]

Candle candle burning bright,
on our ears this song's a blight.
For this song about a candle
has caused us quite a scandal

Candle candle burning bright,
on our ears this song's a blight.
For we think the words are trite
and on the whole its utter....drivel


Didn't William Blake have a stab at this, but for some reason referred to his candles as tigers.

[Benevenio]

Light the Advent candle one
preparation has begun.
Christ, the Lord of everything,
comes again to be our king.
chorus:
Candle, candle burning bright
give to earth your flick'ring light;
Come, o come Emmanuel
God-with-us on earth will dwell.

Light the Advent candle two
joyful hearts we must renew,
valleys fill and hills make low:
Let mankind salvation know.
chorus…

Light the Advent candle three
the Lord is near, so joyful be:
rejoice; again I say rejoice!
Christ returns: lift up your voice.
chorus…

Light the Advent candle four
Blest be Mary evermore
"I'm the handmaid of the Lord;
Holy Spirit be outpoured."
chorus…




Now you can see why I'm an engineer!

[gwyn]

Wonderful! Well done Benevenio.

[VML]

Smashing, it's got all the right bits,
can we use it?

I was going to have a bash at Gwyn's challenge, but I don't think I can better that.

Now we just need a new tune..!


V

[sidvicius]

Would Ben mind if I fine-tuned his worthy travails? I'm not sure if mine will still fit the required metre, but it seems to be rhythmic enough to pass for poetry. Here goes:

The light of Advent candle one means preparation has begun.
Christ, the Lord of everything, be born on Earth to be our king.
chorus:
Advent candle burning bright, Bring to us your gentle light;
Jesus, called 'Emmanuel', 'God-with-us' on earth will dwell.

The light of Advent candle two means joyful hearts we must renew,
when valleys fill and hills sink low: Warm us with salvation's glow.
chorus…

Advent's third most special flame means God is near, so we proclaim:
Rejoice! again I say rejoice! Gaudete! lift up your voice!
chorus…

With final light of Advent's crown praise Mary's name, in heaven renowned.
And on the handmaid of the Lord, May Holy Spirit be outpoured.

Hope that's all right. The reason I changed bits were to make it more 'Adventy'. The original version has a few suggestions of Christ 'already here' or 'back again' - let's not get our seasons mixed up!

[Benevenio]

I'm not sure if mine will still fit the required metre…

No, it doesn't fit the metre. I don't know the tune at all, so I wasn't sure if any extra syllables would be allowed. So I stuck exactly to the 7777 metre with emphasis on the odd beats. This made the whole thing quite hard (for me) because, like Sid, I wanted to stick in extra syllables and make some lines 8 beats, mostly to make more sense of the English. If this were a DVD, you'd have the outakes like "As we wait in joyful hope // with Benedict, our German Pope"

The original version has a few suggestions of Christ 'already here' or 'back again'

Christ is already here: every time we get together, especially in Eucharist… and it is the second coming that most of Advent looks forward to - that is what we Christians are awaiting surely in joyful hope. Christmas and the first coming of Christ really doesn't feature much before Advent week 4… So, I don't think I have mixed up the seasons, but am happy to be corrected if you know differently!

can we use it?

As far as I'm concerned, you may. You'll need the appropriate copyright notices... just don't put my name anywhere near it!

Now we just need a new tune..!

Is that today's lunchtime challenge? Cool!

[admin]

Here's a tune. Decided to use some of Sid's words too - in the chorus. One omission from the score - the speed is about crotchet=120. It's a pretty laid back two in a bar.

Guitarists: if you don't like the key, play it on capo 3 in C.

Pianists: no idea if it is playable, because they won't let me bring a piano here to work, so I haven't yet tried it!

If you don't like it, don't use it; if you do, feel free.

Benevenio must've had a long lunch…
files posted by admin 15 Dec 2006.

You'll need to log in in order to download them.

[admin]

you may care to note that there is also some new music in the music for downloads forum.

[VML]

I've just seen the posting on admin and can't reply on that section.


What is going on? Whose nose is out of joint?
This is daft.
I know there is loads of music out there that could and should be put into parish use via this kind of site, and maybe some have been waiting for theirs to be chosen and set. What was done with the 'Candles' just demonstrates that we can be as active and reactive as My Place, etc. and why not? The good stuff will enrich our liturgy, the unusable will simply be forgotten.


I know there have to be rules and structure to an organisation like SSG but the lovely thing about this MB is the possibility of spontaneity. Clearly the posters (and lurkers/ guests etc.) on here find support and help in having valuable contact with such people who seem to be on the same wavelength. The Advent candle thing was a bit of useful banter, and the fact that we actually got some music on the composers' bit of the board at the same time should not be a problem.

Have the complainers who are waiting for publication submitted their compositions fully formatted for immediate posting?

If so, there might just be a gripe. But I suspect the formatting has been up to one or two people, and is very time consuming.

I hope this can be sorted out, fast.

V

[musicus]

(Since they arise from earlier postings in this thread, I do not consider the last two posts to be off topic.)

[gwyn]

This is indeed a sad development.

Admin, please reconsider. You administer the site and its fora with great sensitivity.

FWIW I administer our parish web site. It can't so much as hold a candle to the site that Admin administers here on our behalf. It's a lot of work, usually about a day's work per week. Let's not forget this.

There's only a few songs available here for download so favouritism in favour of self canot be an issue. Anyway, if that's all it costs to have a site managed to this standard then it's a price worth paying. I'm sure Admin's skills and motivation will be grabbed by another organisation before they hit the ground. I know for a fact that he's worked through many alunch hour and given up much free evening and weekend time to the administration of this site. Money cannot buy dedication like this.

Pray for those who administer church websites and the sites of religious organisations. They bear a heavy responsibility.

[asb]

I feel awful. I posted my original point about "Light the Advent Candle" in an idle moment, not knowing where it would go. Had I known I would have kept quiet.

If Admin has resigned, the least I can do is quietly withdraw from the forum.

Thamnks for all the helpful comments and advice.

[musicus]

asb, I am not absolutely sure what lies behind all this, but I am 100% convinced about one thing: you need not reproach yourself in the slightest. I suspect that what we are seeing here is a persistent and underlying grievance surfacing on a convenient pretext, i.e. this thread. Not, I hasten to add, this thread as prompted by your original post, but as it naturally and freely developed.

I fervently hope that no-one here will feel the need to leave. Wait until the trustees have secured a just resolution of the underlying difficulties (and, God willing, Admin is thereby able to reconsider).

Of course, if a just solution is not forthcoming, I would not seek to dissuade you, asb. Indeed, I would join you.

[John Ainslie]

May I assure all readers that, as chairman of the Society, I am taking the matter of the resignation of the moderator of the 'Sounds Off' forum very seriously and am actively seeking a just solution.

Your prayers at this time would be appreciated.

John Ainslie