Light the Advent Candle (Advent Song)

This is a children's Advent hymn. It has has a verse for each week's lighting of the Advent wreath.

It was written by American Roman Catholic folk-musician and activist, Mary Lucille (Mary Lu) Walker née Harper (1926-2012). It was included in her book and recording DANDELIONS, which was first published in 1975 by The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle, NY. The book is now out of print, but copies are available from Amazon.

The text has meter 7.7.7.7 with refrain, and is almost-always sung to the tune that Walker wrote for it.

Hymn-books which it has been published in include the Presbyterian Sing the Faith / Methodist The Faith we Sing - 2003 edition.

Downloads

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Examples

Solo child singer, with piano accompaniment

Adult singer, chime accompaniment

Lyrics

The words are copyright, so cannot be re-produced here. However they are available here.

A rough outline is:

1 Light the Advent candle one,
Now the waiting has begun ...

Chorus:
Candle, candle burning bright ...

2 Light the Advent candle two ...

3 Light the Advent candle three ...

4 Light the Advent candle four ...

5 Light the Advent candle now
... Let the alleluias ring.