Advent Calendar, a poem by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams was published in his first poetry collection, 'After Silent Centuries' in 1994. The poem stands in a long tradition of northern European poetry in which the cold short days around the winter solstice echo our wintry spirits when our light burns low. Many voices clamour for our attention in Advent. His, the Voice that cries out to us in the night, is the one we must hear, and turn to; and when we have found him, we must never let him go.

This setting by David Ogden was composed for a BBC Songs of Praise recording from St Albans Church, Bristol in 2012 and is dedicated to David's Chamber Choir Exultate Singers. Originally for choir, string quartet, harp and organ it is published with a piano accompaniment.