Evensong on Christmas Day
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Evensong on Christmas Day Friday 25 December 2020 3.30 p.m. Voluntary A solis ortus cardine (from Le Tombeau de Titelouze) Marcel Dupré Christmas Acclamations Conrad Eden Rejoice, for today I bring you glad tidings of great joy. Alleluia. For unto us a child is born and unto us a Son is given. Alleluia. And the government shall be upon his shoulder. Alleluia. And his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Hymn While shepherds watched their flocks by night sung by the Choir While shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground, The angel of the Lord came down, And glory shone around. “Fear not,” said he (for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind); “Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. “To you in David’s town this day Is born, of David’s line, A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord: And this shall be the sign: “The heavenly Babe you there shall find To human view displayed, All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, And in a manger laid.” Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels praising God, who thus Addressed their joyful song: 2 “All glory be to God on high, And on the earth be peace; Good-will henceforth from heaven to men Begin and never cease”. Nahum Tate First published in Thomas Este’s Psalter 1592 Preces Bernard Rose Cantor O Lord, open thou our lips. Choir And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Praise ye the Lord. The Lord’s Name be praised. Welcome The Dean Sit Psalm 8 O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world : thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies : that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers : the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of him : and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 3 Thou madest him lower than the angels : to crown him with glory and worship. Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands : and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet; All sheep and oxen : yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea : and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Governor : how excellent is thy Name in all the world! Stand Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. Sit First Lesson Isaiah 65. 17-25 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 4 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord— and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Stand Magnificat Herbert Howells: The St Paul’s Service My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations. He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 5 Sit Second Lesson Luke 2. 1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Stand 6 Nunc Dimittis Herbert Howells: The St Paul’s Service Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen : thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles : and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. The Apostles’ Creed All I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. 7 The Lesser Litany, Responses and Collects Bernard Rose Cantor The Lord be with you. Choir And with thy spirit. Kneel Cantor Let us pray. Choir Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.