John Doan: Music

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Though O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and O Come, All Ye Faithful have long been associated with Christmas, they were not written as Christmas "carols." Initially, carols were songs used in village celebrations that included singing and dancing, always outside the church walls. These two songs are actually "hymns" of a more solemn and stately manner originally sung by monks. The first is derived from Gregorian Chant and speaks of a "captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile ... until the Son of God appears." Its haunting minor-key melody seeks fulfillment that so naturally comes in the second hymn, which answers in major joyfully and triumphantly, "O come, all ye faithful ... to Bethlehem." This is perhaps the most special arrangment for me as I first heard it in a dream. It started with the guitar, them a choir of strings, followed by an angel trumpeting the majestic arrival of the newborn child. As I awoke I was in awe with a smile and a tear.