Advent, an anthem for SATB chorus, a cappella, was composed in December 2025. It sets a similarly titled poem by the English poet, Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894), Advent (1851). Advent is dedicated to Adam Whitmore and his Durham, England-based choral ensemble, Phoenix Consort. In 2025 it was my good fortune to work with Adam and Phoenix Consort on a commercial recording of my secular choral music, Sing to the World, for the Convivium label in England. Launched on 2 January 2026, this international release attests to the first-rate artistry of Adam and Phoenix Consort.
A devout woman, Christina Rossetti was a prolific poet best remembered for her religious verse. Her well-known poem, In the Bleak Midwinter, remains one of the most beloved of all Christmas poems. Although not as well known, Rossetti’s Advent (1851) was written on 12 December 1851. It first appeared in print in 1904 in The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti, with a Memoir and Notes by Christina’s brother, William Michael Rossetti (1829-1919). Advent (1851) is a concise three stanza poem of four verses each. Repeatedly beckoning the Lord to “come,” the inviting imagery in Rossetti’s poem focuses on central themes of the liturgical season of Advent, waiting and watching. My setting of Rossetti’s poem seeks to support and musically capture her compelling words.
Dan Locklair
Winston-Salem, NC
Duration: ca. 2’ 00”
Advent (1851)
‘Come,’ Thou dost say to Angels,
To blessed Spirits, ‘Come’:
‘Come,’ to the lambs of Thine own flock,
Thy little ones, ‘Come home.’
‘Come,’ from the many-mansioned house
The gracious word is sent;
‘Come,’ from the ivory palaces
Unto the Penitent.
O Lord, restore us deaf and blind,
Unclose our lips though dumb:
Then say to us, ‘I will come with speed,’
And we will answer, ‘Come.’