RSCM publishes new choral settings of the Advent Antiphons
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has released a new collection of choral settings of the Advent Antiphons by seven contemporary composers.
The Advent Antiphons – New Musical Settings brings together works commissioned by the Church of England in 2025 for O Come Emmanuel: Reflections on the Advent Antiphons, its seasonal resource exploring the ancient texts traditionally used during the final days of Advent.
The collection includes music by composers including Philip Moore, Thomas Hewitt Jones, David Ogden, Tamsin Jones and Esther Bersweden. The antiphon texts themselves date back more than a thousand years and form the basis of the familiar Advent hymn ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’.
Recordings of the new settings were made by St Martin’s Voices under conductor Andrew Earis. According to the RSCM, their release prompted requests from choirs and music groups wishing to perform the works themselves, leading to the publication of the new sheet-music volume.
The settings are intended for use in contexts including Evening Prayer, Advent carol services and other seasonal liturgies.