Watchman Tell Us....

I have a new plaything--an Ipod Touch. I have been assembling my playlists for Advent--I also am working on one for Christmas Sacred and Christmas Pop/Secular. So far on the Advent one, I have everything from the Montreal Gospel Choir singing "Walk in Jerusalem Just Like John" to the Brentwood Jazz arrangement of "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" to Enya's "O Come O Come Emmanuel" to Common Destiny's "In His Time" to Aaron Neville's "Banks of the River Jordan" to Vaughn Williams arrangement of "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones"and LOTS of solo piano. Rio Clemente's veerryy woofy arrangement of "We Shall Behold Him" (if you can't be woofy on that one, then you can't be woofy on anything) is my favorite. And lots more--so far 33 in all.


I searched on Itunes for an arrangement of "Watchman Tell us of the Night" that was a little more edgy than another British choir recorded in a stone cathedral --of course that is beautiful but I like to hear the traditional done unexpectedly well in another genre. What I found purusing through Itunes was that there are SEVERAL hymn tunes used for these words. Traditional hymns are often set to already established hymn tunes---the one used for "Watchman" of our hymnal is named Aberystwyth ---Welsh of course. It is also the hymn tune used for "Jesus Lover of my Soul." This tune sounds like the words---we are waiting in the night, and we sing in a minor key, wanting someone to assure of us of coming light. During Advent which starts in about 10 days, I will covenant to write an entry every day again this year. I hope to write a poem soon, in response to the lyric of "Watchman". It was really not until tonight as I thought about Advent hymns that the words really struck me...


Watchman, tell us of the night,

What its signs of promise are.

Traveler, o’er yon mountain’s height,

See that glory beaming star.Watchman,

does its beauteous ray

Aught of joy or hope foretell?


Traveler, yes—it brings the day

Promised day of Israel.


And here is the tune (note the classical tune and the tatooed arm of the player...I love it):