The author highly encourages readers to listen to the two referenced songs prior to reading the rest of the article.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” is a classic Christmas hymn which was penned in 1743 by John Francis Wade, a Catholic who fled England due to persecution. Though originally written in Latin, the song was translated to English by Frederick Oakeley. In 2020, roughly two centuries later, Sovereign Grace Music released the song “O Come, All You Unfaithful,” written by Lisa Clow and Bob Kauflin.
While the two songs seem to contrast entirely, both carry the same message to the same group of people. Both songs call on believers to come and worship Christ, but the way the lyrics convey that message differs starkly. The traditional hymn addresses (surprise!) the faithful, joyful and triumphant. Its words brim with majestic images of “bright Hosts of heav’n above,” “the King of angels,” and “Word of the Father.” All serve to rightly glorify Christ the Lord, Emmanuel. On the other hand, “O Come, All You Unfaithful” beckons the broken, the unstable, the hiding, those who have nothing to offer, and it invites them to witness God’s work. To emphasize how Jesus humbled himself by becoming human for the sake of the unfaithful, the chorus repeats “Christ is born.” The bridge even alludes to His coming sacrifice, declaring the Father’s gift of the Lamb who was slain, and the final verse states that “He is the offering.” Despite our unfaithfulness and because of our unfaithfulness, the Son of God himself displays his glory through the ultimate act of loving humility.
Unsurprisingly, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was written in a major key (in the score from Then Sings My Soul, G major). Roman numeral analysis, a process in which chords are given roman numerals which indicate the chord’s root and quality in the context of a key, revealed that this hymn is mostly comprised of tonic (the first note in the scale, G) and dominant (the fifth note in the scale, D) major triads. In fact, the supertonic triad, though typically minor, is chromatically altered, turning the would-be A minor chord into an A major chord three times throughout the song. Dividing the verses into three phrases, one finds that there are no minor chords in the first, two in the second, and six in the third. The number drops back down to three in the chorus, though the full chorus as a singular phrase is double the length of those in the verses. This abundance of bright harmonies serves to highlight the joy in Christ’s birth.
In terms of melodic contour, the hymn peaks with D5 at the beginning of the third phrase, but by the end of those four measures, the melody has traveled back down a full octave to D4. In contrast to this downward motion, the chorus conveys a gradual climbing motion with each “O come let us adore Him.” Because all the phrases in the verse end in half cadences (inconclusively on dominant), giving the listener a sense of waiting, the chorus’ conclusive perfect authentic cadence emphasizes its majestic finale. It also fulfills the expectations set up by the verses; the melodic downwards movement countered by upwards motion, and the increase in minor harmonies countered by a majority of major chords. This is also somewhat parallel to the lyrics. While each stanza does beckon listeners to come—an open invitation to experience the glory of God—the chorus repeats, thrice, “let us adore Him.” To come is not the ultimate goal, the conclusive cadence. Our purpose is to adore Him, Christ the Lord.
“O Come, All You Unfaithful” holds a completely different tone, and because it is not written in the four-voice chorale style, roman numeral analysis was applied to the piano accompaniment instead. Though also written in a major key (D major in the piano/vocal score), this song puts its supertonic (ii) and submediant (vi) minor chords to full use—in the verses and chorus, they occur almost as frequently as major chords do. Another contrast to the traditional hymn is also the heavier use of seventh chords, composed of a stack of three thirds, or one triad combined with an interval of a seventh; these chords include more harmonic dissonance than triads do. In addition, the song’s compound meter, 6/8, gives a lilting feel to the tune: one-two-three-four-five-six. Conversely, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” has the marchlike, simple meter of 4/4: one-two-three-four. The increase of harmonic dissonance and minor chords, combined with the swaying beat, introduces a much more mellow “vibe” to this song, the opposite of the truly triumphant atmosphere found in the old hymn. Curiously, the piano accompaniment stresses the first and fourth beats throughout the song, allowing it to feel grounded despite its swing. “Regardless of your instability,” the meter seems to affirm, “no matter how broken you are, God is working, and He promises peace.”
In examining the melodic contour in “O Come, All You Unfaithful,” one finds that the highest pitch in the song occurs during the chorus. The chorus’ lyrics respond to those of the verses, and similar to the traditional hymn, it repeats one phrase (“Christ is born”) three times before ending with additional words (“for you”). The bridge, a more modern component to songs, is the brightest and most major part of the song, and its lyrics expound on the chorus. Christ was born—as the Lamb to be slain, as a promise of peace. That is the core of this Christmas song’s message. God’s grace and love overwhelms our unfaithfulness, so we should not hesitate to come and experience Him.
Together, the two different sides to Emmanuel displayed in these songs provide a beautiful picture of Jesus’ birth. They remind us of our value as the beloved of the King of kings, and they remind us how Christ came to seek and save the lost—the unworthy. Angel, magi, shepherd, in the approaching Christmas season, let us all come to adore our God and taste of His love.
Works Cited
Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003.
Kauflin, Bob, and Lisa Clow. “O Come, All You Unfaithful Piano Score.” Sovereign Grace Music, 2020. sovereigngracemusic.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20210204112805/o-come-all-you-unfaithful–hhc–rec-d-score.pdf, PDF file.
Photo Credit
https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp5023586.jpg