O Come Emmanuel

O Come, Emmanuel is a 'musical mystery tour' that encourages people to read and reflect daily on God's word through the lens of some the most famous and best-loved Christmas carols, which are all too often sung without a passing thought for their meaning. Linking the Bible with our culture and including material for group study, this is the ideal journey through the Advent period for all those wishing to listen to the melody of God's plan for salvation even as they enjoy the festive period.

Gordon Giles is vicar of St Mary Magdalene's Church, Enfield, north London. Before that he was Succentor of St Paul's Cathedral where his work involved musical and liturgical responsibilities. Trained in music, philosophy and theology, he was ordained in the Anglican Church in 1995. He is a contributor to BRF's New Daylight notes and has also written The Music of Praise (BRF, 2002) and The Harmony of Heaven (BRF, 2003).

From Praxis: News of Worship - September 2008

Based on a carol a day from 1 December to 6 January, this book may be used as a prayer companion during Advent and the 12 days of Christmas. Each chapter begins with a scripture passage, followed by a substantial reflection on the text of each carol and the context in which it was written, ending with a short prayer.

As well as the usual standard carols, there are some surprises, such as Graham Kendrick's 'Candle Song' and the 'Ave Maria'. In discussing various settings of the latter, Gordon Giles described the Bach/Gounod setting as one of the greatest ecumenical works - an unplanned collaboration between Lutheranism and Catholicism. Observations such as this made me smile as I followed the daily routine of reading this book for most of Advent. At such a busy time of year, there was no opportunity to use the questions for weekly group discussion, but as the next season of Advent approaches, I would find this book useful for background information for carol concerts and services.

Reviewed by Teresa Brown

• View other titles by Gordon Giles