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O Antiphons Videos
Grace Church is excited to offer you a brief moment of musical mediation each day leading up to Christmas Eve. Dr. Anne has arranged for several of our youth members to sing the ‘O Antiphons’ as a countdown to this most holy night.
The ‘O Antiphons’ originated in monastic communities during the Middle Ages as refrains to the Magnificat during evening prayer on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve. Each antiphon begins with the word “O” followed by a title for the Messiah taken from the biblical book of Isaiah.
You may not have realized it, however, each year at Grace Church we sing an arrangement of these antiphons in the much beloved hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which is what our youth will share as a prayer each morning over the coming week.
December 17
O Wisdom
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
O Adonai
December 18
O Lord
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times didst give the law,
in cloud, and majesty, and awe.
O Radix Jesse
December 19
O Root of Jesse
O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
free them from Satan’s tyranny
that trust thy mighty power to save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
O Clavis David
December 20
O Key of David
O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
O Oriens
December 21
O Dayspring
O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
O Rex Gentium
December 22
O King of the Nations
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace.
O Emmanuel
December 23
O With Us is God
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.