The Advent Procession with Carols
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Advent Procession with Carols Saturday 28 November 2020 6.00 p.m. Welcome to Durham Cathedral We welcome you to Durham Cathedral, as we celebrate anew the coming of God’s Kingdom. Through music, poetry and scripture, we hear revealed the mystery of God’s loving purpose for us - how that when we were far off, God met us in his Son and brought us home; how he humbled himself to take our human nature, that we might partake in his divine glory. During the service the choir moves from west to east, from ‘darkness to light’. First, in near-darkness, the ancient responsory sets out the Advent hope. Shortly after comes the ancient hymn Conditor alme siderum. Then, carols of our redemption alternate with Advent hymns and readings, looking not only toward our celebration of the birth of Jesus, but also of that time when he returns in glory culminating in our prayer ‘Amen: come, Lord Jesus.’ Donations Thank you for joining us in worship today. If you would like to make an offering to Durham Cathedral to support our worship and plans for recovery following Covid-19, please visit https://localgiving.org/ charity/durhamcathedral/ The Cathedral Choir is directed by the Master of the Choristers and Organist, Daniel Cook and the organ is played by Sub-Organist, Joseph Beech 2 Voluntary Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 559 J S Bach Matin Responsory Aspiciens a longe sung by the choir 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: 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? from the First Matin Responsory Music adapted from of Advent Sunday Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina The Bidding Prayer The Dean In the name of God, who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and made a place for us in the kingdom of his beloved Son, we welcome you: may the light, grace and peace of Christ be with you. We gather at the start of this season of Advent to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom and to prepare ourselves in heart and mind to celebrate anew the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. 3 In his name we commend ourselves to God’s infinite care and loving-kindness, asking God to hear our prayers, to forgive our sins, to judge us in truth but with mercy, and to lead us from darkness to light. Above all we thank our heavenly Father for the redemption of the world by his Son Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. As we pray for ourselves, so we also pray for our neighbours, and especially at this time for all who need God’s pity and protection: for the sick in body and mind; for the lonely and the bereaved; for the dying; for those who have been deprived of hope and human dignity; for those whose lives lie broken and who face the future with fear. As again we make our cry ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus’, we pray in the words he gave us: All 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. May the almighty and all-merciful Lord, when he comes again, find us watching and waiting. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 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. 4 First Reading Zechariah 9. 9 - 11, 16 - 17 The coming ruler of God’s people Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. On that day the Lord their God will save them, for they are the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For what goodness and beauty are his! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. Anthem This is the truth sent from above sung by the choir This is the truth sent from above, The truth of God, the God of love; Therefore don’t turn me from your door, But hearken all both rich and poor. The first thing which I do relate Is that God did man create; The next thing which to you I’ll tell Woman was made with man to dwell. And we were heirs to endless woes, Till God the Lord did interpose; And so a promise soon did run That he would redeem us by his Son. 5 And at that season of the year Our blest Redeemer did appear; He here did live, and here did preach, And many thousands he did teach. Thus he in love to us behaved, To show us how we must be saved; And if you want to know the way, Be pleased to hear what he did say. Traditional Herefordshire Carol collected and arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams Antiphon O Adonaï O Adonaï, 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. Hymn Conditor alme siderum ( ) sung by the choir Creator of the stars of night, Thy people’s everlasting light, O Jesu, Saviour of us all, Regard thy servants when they call. Thou, grieving at the bitter cry Of all creation doomed to die, Didst come to save a ruined race With healing gifts of heavenly grace. Thou camest, Bridegroom of the bride, As drew the world to evening-tide, Proceeding from a virgin shrine, The Son of Man, yet Lord divine. 6 Second Reading Isaiah 40. 1 - 11 The prophet Isaiah proclaims God’s mercy and announces his coming as King and Shepherd Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. 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. 7 Hymn Conditor alme siderum ( ) sung by the choir At thy great name, exalted now, All knees must bend, all hearts must bow, And things in heaven and earth shall own That thou art Lord and King alone.