Heathcote Statham: Fantasia on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ for organ

Advent Sunday is the “official” start of the Church Year. To be sure, Christmas merchandise has been available in the shops since mid-September. Shops, hotels, and restaurants are already decorated with Christmas baubles and tinsel. But today, the Church formally begins its descent into twinkling lights, carols, over-spending, overeating and Morecambe and Wise Christmas Specials. And hopefully, a celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In some Anglican cathedrals and churches, the Advent Sunday Procession begins in darkness, pierced by a lone voice singing O come, O come, Emmanuel. This ancient hymn, steeped in Latin plainchant tradition, petitions Christ through the prophetic titles Wisdom, Root of Jesse, Dayspring - each revealing a theological aspect of the Coming of the Messiah. The hymn’s wistful minor melody and solemn rhythm embody that yearning, drawing worshippers into the mystery of Advent. Its refrain “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee” offers a spark of hope amid the shadows of life, a promise of light breaking into the world.

O come, O come, Emmanuel!

Redeem thy captive Israel,

That into exile drear is gone.

Far from the face of God’s dear Son.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high!

Who madest all in earth and sky,

Creating man from dust and clay:

To us reveal salvation’s way.

O come, thou Root of Jesse! draw

The quarry from the lion’s claw;

From those dread caverns of the grave,

From nether hell, thy people save.

O come, O come, thou Dayspring bright!

Pour on our souls thy healing light;

Dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,

And pierce the shadows of the tomb.

O come, Desire of nations! show

Thy kingly reign on earth below;

Thou Cornerstone, uniting all,

Restore the ruin of our fall.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Heathcote Dicken Statham (1889-1973) was an English organist, conductor, and composer whose legacy lies solidly within the tradition of Anglican church music. Educated at Gaius College Cambridge and at the Royal College of Music, he held posts in St Paul’s Cathedral Kolkata and St Michael’s College, (now St Michael Abbey School), Tenbury before serving as organist of Norwich Cathedral (1928–1966). Whilst in this post, he regularly conducted the Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra and for the Norwich Festivals. Statham was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1967. His works include liturgical settings such as a Te Deum, a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, the evocative Rhapsody on a Ground for organ (1944), and Christmas carol arrangements like Joy! Joy! from every Steeple.

Heathcote Statham’s Fantasia on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ for organ was written in 1956, for inclusion in the Advent volume of Novello’s Festal Voluntaries series. Other composers featured in this album included Francis Jackson, C.S. Lang, Alec Rowley, and William Lloyd Webber.

Fantasia on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ is a powerful organ piece that transforms the ancient Advent plainsong into a dramatic musical adventure. Opening quietly with modal harmonies, it gradually builds in intensity, weaving contrapuntal textures and bold harmonic modulations that evoke mystery and majesty. Statham’s treatment of the chant is reverent yet imaginative, allowing the tune to emerge in varied guises - sometimes clear, sometimes hidden. The work culminates in a powerful climax before subsiding into a quiet, contemplative close.

Listen to Statham’s Fantasia on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ on YouTube, here. It is played by Christopher Matthews on the Baird organ of Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church