The quietly joyful strains of “Gloria in excelsis Deo” open this grace-filled Advent anthem. Jean Anne Shafferman has adapted Phillips Brooks’s text “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and Lloyd Larson has brilliantly paired it with the melody from “Amazing Grace.” Contrasting the more lyrical opening and closing verses is the hymn-like FOREST GREEN. Also great for Christmas Eve, it’s certain to become a perennial seasonal favorite!