Advent ABC: V is for Veni

Veni Emmanuel, sung here by the L’Accorche Choeur, to Kodaly’s setting.

This traditional Advent and Christmastime hymn, one of my favourites,  is  based round the‘O’ antiphons  which are sung at vespers during the week  before Christmas. I’ve discovered a piece by Classic FM on the story behind the carol, which you’ll probably know better as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  I hadn’t realised that over the years it’s been translated into several different languages and has seen many different arrangements (I sung in one  only last week) and cover versions, ranging from classical to punk and indie.  In fact, there have been so many that nobody really knows the identity of the original composer!