Advent Carol Service

Sunday 29 November 2020

1730

This service is based on the seven ‘Great O’ Antiphons, sung to plainsong, which are traditionally used in Advent. They depict Christ in images taken from the Old Testament, and look forward to his final coming in glory.

The first part of the service starts in darkness. As each ‘O’ Antiphon is sung, a series of seven candles are lit and the cathedral lights are turned on in stages - symbolising the dawning light of Christ whom the world awaits, and whom we wait to welcome once again into our lives.

The organ music before the service includes settings of the Lutheran chorale melody ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’ (‘Now come, Saviour of the Gentiles’) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Then follows a period of silence.

With the Cathedral in darkness and only the Choir candles lit, the Cathedral Consort sings the Advent Matins Responsory.

I look from afar: and lo, I see the power of God coming and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go ye out to meet him, and say: Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel? High and low, rich and poor, one with another; go ye out to meet him and say: Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. Tell us, art thou he that should come? Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come to reign over thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. I look from afar...

Words: Advent Sunday Matins Responsory Music: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c1525-1594)

THE BIDDING PRAYER led by the Dean.

At the start of this Advent season, as we prepare again to celebrate the good news Christ came to bring, let us ask God to rekindle in us the hope to which we are called. Let us reflect on the coming of Christ who brings light to the world, that we may leave behind the darkness of sin and follow him more closely, as we await his coming in glory at the last. And as we turn towards the light, let us have on our hearts all for whom this present is a time especially of darkness and despair. We pray for those whose lives are overshadowed by sickness, anxiety or loss, that they too may be illumined by Christ who is our light. We pray with confidence as he taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 2

The first candle of seven is lit as the soloist sings the first ‘O’ antiphon.

ANTIPHON O Sapientia

O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily, and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.

FIRST READING Ecclesiasticus 24.3-9

‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist. I dwelt in the highest heavens, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud. Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the abyss. Over waves of the sea, over all the earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway. Among all these I sought a resting-place; in whose territory should I abide? Then the Creator of all things gave me a command, and my Creator chose the place for my tent. He said, “Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your inheritance.” Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me, and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.’

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Please join in singing the hymn.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave: Rejoice..! 3

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death’s dark shadows put to flight: Rejoice..!

O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery: Rejoice..!

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s hight, in ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe: Rejoice..!

Words: based on the Advent Antiphons tr. J. M. Neale (1818-1866) Music: VENI EMMANUEL arr. Andrew Carter (b.1939)

PRAYER

Bishop God of truth, whose Wisdom set her table and invited us to eat the bread and drink the wine of the kingdom: help us to lay aside all foolishness and to live and walk in the way of insight, that we may come to the eternal feast of heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen.

The second candle is lit as the soloist sings the antiphon.

SECOND ANTIPHON O Adonai

O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, who appearedst in the bush to Moses in a flame of fire and gavest him the law in Sinai: come and deliver us with an outstretched arm.

SECOND READING Exodus 3.2-6

The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Choir sings.

Regis regum rectissimi King of kings and lords most high: prope est dies Domini, comes his day of judgement nigh; dies iræ et vindictæ, day of shadows and vengeance stark, tenebrarum et nebulæ. day of wrath and cloudy dark. Regis regum rectissimi King of kings and of lords most high: diesque mirabilium thunder shall rend that day apart, tonitruorum fortium, wonder amaze each fearful heart. dies quoque angustiæ, anguish and pain and deep distress mæroris ac tristitiæ. shall mark that day of bitterness. Regis regum rectissimi King of kings and of lords most high: in quo cessabit mulierum that day the pangs of lust will cease, amor et desiderium, each longing heart shall be at peace; nominumque contentio then shall the great no more contend mundi hujus et cupido. and worldly fame be at an end.

Words: attributed to St Columba (521-597) Music: Benjamin Britten (1913-76)

PRAYER

Bishop O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. All Amen.

The third candle is lit as the soloist sings the antiphon.

THIRD ANTIPHON O Radix Jesse

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people; at whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the gentiles shall seek: come and deliver us, and tarry not.

THIRD READING Isaiah 11.1-4a

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Choir sings.

A tender shoot hath started up from a root of grace as ancient seers imparted, from Jesse’s holy race, it blooms without blight, blooms in the cold bleak winter turning darkness into light.

This shoot Isaiah taught us from Jesse’s root should spring, the Virgin Mary brought us: the branch of which we sing, our God of endless might gave her this child to save us turning darkness into light.

Words: anonymous C16 tr. William Bartholomew (1793–1867) Music: Otto Goldschmidt (1829-1907)

RESPONSORY

Bishop Now it is time to awake out of sleep, All for the night is far spent and the day is at hand. Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed, All for the night is far spent. Let us therefore cast off the words of darkness and put on the armour of light All for the day is at hand. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, All for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.

Please join in singing the Carol: Come, thou Redeemer of the earth.

Come, thou Redeemer of the earth, and manifest thy virgin-birth: let every age adoring fall such birth befits the God of all.

Begotten of no human will, but of the Spirit, thou art still the Word of God, in flesh arrayed, the Saviour, now to man displayed.

From God the Father he proceeds, to God the Father back he speeds, runs out his course to death and hell, returning on God’s throne to dwell.

O equal to thy Father, thou! gird on thy fleshly mantle now: the weakness of our mortal state with deathless might invigorate.

Thy cradle here shall glitter bright, and darkness glow with new-born light, no more shall night extinguish day, where love’s bright beams their power display.

O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee eternal praise and glory be, whom with the Father we adore, and Holy Spirit, evermore. Words: St Ambrose (340-97) tr. J.M. Neale 7 Tune: PUER NOBIS NASCITUR arr. Stephen Cleobury

The fourth candle is lit as the soloist sings the antiphon.

FOURTH ANTIPHON O Clavis David

O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openest and no man shutteth; and shuttest and no man openeth: come and bring the prisoner out of the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness and the shadow of death.

FOURTH READING Isaiah 22.21-23

I will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honour to his ancestral house.

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Choir sings.

Ecce concipies et paries filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum. Hic erit magnus, et filius Altissimi vocabitur. Super solium David et super regnum ejus sedebit et regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum et regni ejus non erit finis.

Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Words: Luke 1.31-33 Music: Jacob Handl (1550-1591)

PRAYER

Bishop Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen. 8

The fifth candle is lit as the soloist sings the antiphon.

FIFTH ANTIPHON O Oriens

O Dayspring, Brightness of Light everlasting and Sun of righteousness: come and enlighten him that sitteth in darkness and the shadow of death.

FIFTH READING Numbers 24.15b-17

The oracle of one who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Choir sings.

Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured, who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest, holiest of holies, Jesu Christ, our Lord.

Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest, the lights of evening round us shine, we hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung with undefilèd tongue: Son of our God, giver of life alone, therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

PRAYER

Bishop Eternal God, you sent your almighty Word to pierce the world’s darkness with the light of salvation: give to the earth the peace that we long for and fill our hearts with the joy of heaven through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. All Amen. 9

The sixth candle as the soloist sings the antiphon.

SIXTH ANTIPHON O Rex Gentium

O King of the Nations, and their Desire, the Cornerstone, who makest both one: come and save mankind whom thou formedst of clay.

SIXTH READING Jeremiah 30.7-11a

Alas! that day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be rescued from it. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob, says the Lord, and do not be dismayed, O Israel; for I am going to save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you; I will make an end of all the nations among which I scattered you, but of you I will not make an end.

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Please join in singing the hymn.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture - in the body and the blood. He will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow'rs of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim, with sleepless eye, veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, “Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, Lord most high!”

Words: Liturgy of St James tr. Gerard Moultrie (1829-1885) Tune: PICARDY arr. Stephen Cleobury (1948-2019)

RESPONSORY

Bishop My soul is waiting for you, O Lord: in your word is my hope. All My soul is waiting for you, O Lord: in your word is my hope. There is forgiveness with you, so that you shall be feared. All In your word is my hope. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. All My soul is waiting for you, O Lord: in your word is my hope.

The seventh candle is lit and the Cathedral lights are switched on full as the soloist sings the final O Antiphon.

SEVENTH ANTIPHON O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their Salvation: come and save us, O Lord our God.

SEVENTH READING Matthew 1.18-23

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’

All Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Choir sings.

Peace be to you and grace from him who freed us from our sins, who loved us all and shed his blood that we might saved be.

Sing Holy, Holy to our Lord: the Lord Almighty God, who was and is and is to come: sing Holy, Holy, Lord!

Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein, rejoice on earth, ye saints below, for Christ is coming, coming soon, for Christ is coming soon!

E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more; they need no light nor lamp nor sun, for Christ will be their all.

Words: Biblical arr. Ruth Manz (1919-2008) Music: Paul Manz (1919-2009)

THE COLLECT FOR ADVENT SUNDAY

Bishop Let us pray.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen.

Please join in singing the final hymn.

Lo, he comes with clouds descending, once for favoured sinners slain; thousand thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train. Alleluia! God appears, on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold him robed in dreadful majesty; those who set at naught and sold him, pierced and nailed him to the tree, deeply wailing, shall our true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of his passion still his dazzling body bears, cause of endless exultation to his ransomed worshippers: with what rapture, gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, amen, let all adore thee, high on thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the kingdom for thine own. Alleluia! Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Tune: HELMSLEY

THE BLESSING

Bishop The Lord be with you All and also with you.

May God the Father, judge all-merciful, make us worthy of a place in his kingdom. All Amen.

May God the Son, coming among us in power, reveal in our midst the promise of his glory. All Amen.

May God the Holy Spirit make us steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and constant in love. All Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. All Amen.

FINAL READING Revelation 22.16-17,20

‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

VOLUNTARY

Toccata on Veni Emmanuel - Andrew Carter (b.1939)

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Acknowledgements Reproduction of the hymns in this service sheet falls under the provision of the Cathedral copyright licence number 160035 and Calamus licence 1252. Excerpts from Common Worship and15 Times and Seasons © The Archbishops’ Council 2000, 2006.