Longing for Light We Wait in Darkness

History

Bernadette Farrell (born 26 March 1957 in West Yorkshire, England) composed "Christ, Be Our Light" in the early 1990s for the dedication of a church, and it was first published in 1993 by Oregon Catholic Press. Farrell studied at King's College London, where she received the Faculty Award for Theology in 1977, and continued her musical education at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her first commission came from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral for the National Pastoral Congress of 1980, launching a prolific career that has produced over seventy-five songs and one complete Catholic Mass setting.

A founding member of the St Thomas More Group in the 1970s, Farrell has served on the Roman Catholic Bishops' Liturgical Commission for many years and worked as diocesan music advisor for both Southwark and Westminster. Her work extends beyond music into social justice advocacy, having served on the staff at Allen Hall Seminary from 1980 to 1986 and later as a community organizer for South London Citizens. She led the successful Lunar House Campaign, which achieved improved conditions at the UK's main immigration reception center and resulted in a new £800,000 building in Croydon. This commitment to social justice permeates her hymn texts, which consistently address themes of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and the church's responsibility to serve marginalized communities.

The hymn quickly gained widespread acceptance across denominational boundaries, appearing in Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, and Lutheran hymnals throughout the English-speaking world. It has been included in major hymnals such as Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (2013), The Upper Room Worshipbook (2006), Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Singing the Faith (Methodist), and numerous Catholic publications. The hymn's popularity has led to multiple arrangements, including Joel Raney's setting for SATB choir, handbells, narration, and piano for Advent candle lighting services (Hope C 5851), and Michael Burkhardt's organ harmonizations in his collection As Though the Whole Creation Cried, Volume 2 (MorningStar Music). Farrell also created an alternative set of verses specifically for the Easter Vigil beginning "This is the night of new beginnings."

**Sources:** [Wikipedia - Bernadette Farrell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Farrell); [UMC Discipleship Ministries - History of Hymns: Christ Be Our Light](https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-longing-for-light-christ-be-our-light); [OCP - Christ Be Our Light](https://www.ocp.org/en-us/songs/10415/christ-be-our-light); [The Methodist Church - Longing for light, we wait in darkness](https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/resources/hymns/longing-for-light-we-wait-in-darkness-stf-706/)

Performance

Farrell composed CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT in 3/4 time with a waltz-like feel, creating an accessible yet emotionally compelling musical setting that supports the text's progression from darkness to light. Set in the key of G major, the melody begins on the third scale degree (B) and unfolds through a moderate range of a tenth, making it singable for average congregations while allowing for expressive interpretation. The verse melodies feature a steady ascending motion with primarily stepwise intervals and accessible skips, creating an arch-like contour across four phrases that builds toward the refrain. This melodic architecture mirrors the text's movement from longing and petition to affirmation and praise, with successive higher pitches creating directional momentum that effectively leads into the refrain.

The refrain achieves the hymn's emotional and spiritual climax, with the melody hovering at its highest point on the word "light," creating a sense of arrival and resolution. Music scholar Symantha Leung observes that this melodic and emotional intensity "imparts a sense of arriving 'home' and uniting with Christ—the true Light," while the harmonic progressions move from tension to rest, "hovering from 'darkness' to 'light' and 'despair' to 'hope.'" Farrell's tune draws inspiration from both the English choral tradition and British folk song melodic patterns, blending these influences into a contemporary style that feels both familiar and fresh. The 3/4 meter allows for a flowing, meditative quality in the verses while maintaining rhythmic vitality in the refrain, supporting the text's contemplative yet urgent call to social action.

In liturgical practice, this hymn functions appropriately for Advent and Lent as seasons of preparation and introspection, for Epiphany celebrations of Christ's manifestation as the Light of the World, and for general services focused on social justice, discipleship, and the church's mission. The hymn works effectively in various performance configurations: as a solo cantor singing verses with congregation joining on the refrain, as an antiphonal arrangement with two groups singing alternating verses, or with full congregational participation throughout. The Methodist Church's performance guidelines suggest that "the burst of energy that the melody brings at the start of each refrain is emphasised still further when a congregation joins in at this point, responding to the prayer of a soloist in the preceding verse." For accompaniment, organ or keyboard should support without overwhelming the vocal line, with registration building gradually through the verses to fuller, brighter stops for the final stanza. A tempo of ♩ = 100-112 maintains the hymn's dignity while allowing the text's narrative clarity and the melody's natural flow to emerge. Piano or guitar accompaniment can emphasize the waltz rhythm with light arpeggiated patterns, while more contemporary settings might incorporate gentle percussion to underscore the hymn's message of active engagement with the world's needs.

**Sources:** [UMC Discipleship Ministries - History of Hymns: Longing for Light](https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-longing-for-light-christ-be-our-light); [The Methodist Church - Performance Guidelines](https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/resources/hymns/longing-for-light-we-wait-in-darkness-stf-706/); [GodSongs.net - Christ Be Our Light](https://www.godsongs.net/2017/06/christ-be-our-light-shine-in-our-hearts-darkness.html); [Six Maddens Church Music - Christ Be Our Light](https://www.sixmaddens.org/christ-be-our-light-aov-23/)