One of my favorite sources for Advent and Christmas hymns is the Victorian polymath Catherine Winkworth. She translated scores of German religious works into English, and boy, did she have a way with words.
Our Advent piece for today is her “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”. The original was published by Philipp Nicolai in 1598; musical setting by J.S. Bach. The chorale as he wrote it is fabulously intricate; it’s all moving parts. And when you sing it in a congregation it is glorious. But the Dominican Sisters of Mary here take it back to the bare bones and let you concentrate on the message: be alert, the Messiah is coming, you do not want to miss this.
©2025 Bas Bleu
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