O come, O come, Emmanuel

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O come, O come, Emmanuel is a translation of the Christian Latin text ("Veni, veni, Emmanuel") by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th century. It is a metrical version of a collation of various Advent Antiphons (the acrostic O Antiphons), which now serves as a popular Advent and Christmas hymn. Its origins are unclear, it is thought that the antiphons are from at least the 8th Century, but "Veni, veni Emmanuel" may well be 12th Century in origin.^[1]^[2] The text is based on the biblical prophesy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel (Lit.: God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

O come, O come, Emmanuel

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Veni, veni Emmanuel

[edit] Musical setting

It is believed that the traditional music stems from a 15th Century French processional for Franciscan nuns,^[3] but it may also have 8th Century Gregorian origins. It is one of the most solemn Advent hymns. In the Catholic church, two subsequent verses are sung each week of Advent, beginning with the First Sunday of Advent as verses 1 & 2. The Second Sunday of Advent, verses 3 & 4 are sung. On the Third Sunday of Advent, verses 5 & 6. On the Fourth Sunday of Advent however, verses 1 & 7 are then sung.

Performance variations exist today over the rhythm of the music. Many performances pause on the last syllable of "Emmanuel", in both the verse and the chorus, however often performances omit these pauses to give a greater sense of understanding to the chorus "Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel". If a pause is included, the meaning is lost as an audible comma is heard between "Emmanuel" and "shall come to thee...".

The composer James MacMillan wrote a percussion concerto based on this carol in 1991, and it was later premiered during the 1992 BBC Proms.