Lyr Req: What is the Crying at Jordan

Subject: What is the Crying at Jordan?
From: Hotspur
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 12:04 AM

This is an absolutely gorgeous Christmas song on an album called "The Miserable Offenders". Don't remember the artists' names. Alas, I lost my copy of it when I moved from New Orleans. Can anybody help? The words as far as i can recall them:

What is the crying at Jordan? Sometihng something something Dark is the season, dark our hearts, And shut to mystery.

Now comes the hour of fulfillment Prepare for joy in the winter night...

Subject: Lyr Add: WHAT IS THE CRYING AT JORDAN?
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 02:12 AM

Well, the group seems to be named "the Miserable Offenders" and the information about the CD is here. There's some information about the duo and an address for a distributor here.
The song is listed at an Anglican Hymnal website, but the link doesn't work, so maybe you could find it in a print version somewhere.
Woohoo! Found it here. along with several others. Lyrics in a moment...
I'm stealing their HTML, so I hope this works:

WHAT IS THE CRYING AT JORDAN?

What is the crying at Jordan?
Who hears, O God, the prophecy?
Dark is the season, dark
Our hearts and shut to mystery.
Who then shall stir in this darkness
Prepare for joy in the winter night?
Mortal in darkness we
Lie down, blind-hearted, seeing no light.
God give us grace to awake us!
To see the branch that begins to bloom
In great humility
Is hid all heaven in a little room
Now comes the day of our healing
In joy and trembling a Word is giv'n!
Our God is born into our lives,
Oh, let salvation dawn!

(1982 Hymnal #69)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the Crying at Jordan
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 08:11 AM

I have the Miserable Offenders on tape from my mom, and it's a lot of fun, expecially if you have an Episcopal/Anglican background.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the Crying at Jordan
From: Hotspur
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 11:45 PM

HUZZAH!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! thump thump! (that's me jumping up and down in excitement.) You guys are the best! P.S.--Animaterra, I got the CD from Fr. Ron, the chaplain at my college...a piece of work in himself! *grin*

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the Crying at Jordan
From: Haruo
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 12:14 AM

According to the Hymnbook 1982 the text is by Carol Christopher Drake (b. 1933) and are © 1971 by Carol C. Stone (hmm; yeah, probably the same lady, but not sure what her last name is). The Episcopalians set it to an Irish tune they call "St. Mark's, Berkeley", with a harmonization by one Noman Mealy, b. 1923, likewise © 1971; I'll bet you anything this Irish tune is better known by some secular title (ever notice how the Irish of old keep swiping these modern hymn tunes?) and is in the public domain.

Liland