“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was my favorite Christmas hymn in childhood. It was almost mournful and dirge like, a delightful contrast to “Joy to the World” “Angels We Have Heard on High” (I loved singing the descant in that chorus when I was young, and almost had a singing voice). But “Emmanuel” was something from a mysterious time. Someone told me, in childhood also, that the music was based on “plainsong.” I didn’t know what that was , but it sounded ancient, and conjured images of medieval monks chanting as they worshipped in the cold. At the time I think I may have heard of “Advent” (I think Advent wreaths came much later), but I knew nothing of the O Antiphons. Or even the word “antiphon.”
I’m not that young boy anymore, but Advent still isn’t over until I hear that hymn.
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