Advent Songs?

What songs are a good fit for Advent? Advent is a time of expectation of Christ's coming at Christmas and while I like to sing Christmas ("Jesus has arrived!") songs in December, what songs do you think fit Advent ("Jesus is coming!") best?

I like it when we focus on the hope/promise of His coming, rather than on the event at Christmas, but I must admit that in the culture, Advent has become Christmas Season. So, I offer a mixed-bag of "Advent" songs, trying to adjust my parameters to those themes so prevalent in both Advent and Christmas readings -- confession, peace, comfort, holy God come down, worshiping before Him, etc.

1) Days of Elijah, Robin Mark
2) You Are Holy (Prince of Peace), MW Smith
3) Angels from the Realms of Glory (not too hard to transfer from organ to contemp instruments if we don't speed it up and allow for some syncopation ?)
4) Song of Hope/Heaven Come down (Jenkins, et. al)
5) Uncreated One (Tomlin/Walt) -- still one of my absolute favorites, but hardly ever heard!
6) He Has Come for Us (God Rest Ye), Ingram/Andrews -- another great adaptation of a classic carol with incredible potential for bass/elec guitars!
7) Refiner's Fire, Doerksen (Advent 2 this year - Mal 3 and John the Baptist)
8) The Heart of Worship, Redman (Advent 4 this year)
9) Almighty, Baloche/Brown (focuses on his second coming)
10) Come Now our King, Chris August ( a tad focused on US, but I think as a response to confession/absolution or at a penitential moment, it works)
11) Emmanuel/Hallowed Manger Ground, Tomlin, et. al (Oh, why not?! They'll be hearing it on all the Christian radio stations as soon as T'giving is over!)
12) Soon and Very Soon (if you've got the right percussionist, this can be soulful!)
13) Wake Up, Nifong/Stanfill (this might need to be in explanatory context/medley or tied to specific Scripture)
14) Light of the World, Tim Hughes (almost an Advent/Xmas classic in some congregations!)
15) Made to Worship, Tomlin (ditto from 14)

DustyDCM's picture

We used Light of the World (Sing Hallelujah) to some effect this year
https://wordtoworship.com/song/116446

RayJGentry's picture

I think "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?" is also a pretty decent Advent song :)

My church loves to sing Keith and Kristyn Getty's rendition of the Magnificat. Charlie Hall's very simple "Prepare the Way" is also a great match. We've also found that the traditional advent hymns O Come O Come Emmanuel and Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence work really well.

Kim Wortham King's picture

Ready the Way - Curtis Stephen
Emmanuel - Angrisano

BSloniger's picture

"light Of The World" by Lauren Daigle
This really went over well in our conservative congregation.
And in the weeks after Thanksgiving when we were working on it this song was stuck in my head ~~every~~ day. What a wonderful thought to have running through your head for Advent! Glory! Is the Light OF The World! Posted this on our FB and got a tremendous response which led to new visitors attending for Christmas Eve. https://www.facebook.com/SOTRLutheran/videos/301127981305428/

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