Willan: The Great "O" Antiphons

The "O" Antiphons (so-called because they all begin "O ___") are traditionally chanted or sung over seven nights from the 17th of December to the 23rd. Since few churches have daily sung services, they are more often sung together at an Advent-themed service, in which case it is necessary to give them some kind of build up or else you have seven very similar pieces. In this case I have started with quartet, then one side of the aisle, then the other, then half choir, back to each side, and finally everybody together, the organ accompaniment getting a little louder each time, too. I have also seen these antiphons used as an Advent devotional. They are all based on Old Testament scripture and each begins with a name given to the prophesied Messiah. Healey Willan was born in England and worked in Canada from an early age, writing a large amount of Anglican music in his career. His set of the "O" Antiphons are one of the most sung versions since they are fairly simple; Baroque settings can be very elaborate with whole orchestras and many soloists.