The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2020 Tuesday 22 December at 6.00 p.m. Welcome A warm welcome to the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Durham Cathedral in this specially prepared broadcast online. Whether you join us online from far or near, I hope you will find real joy and inspiration in this service, and that the beauty and peace of this season will stay with you into the days that lie ahead. On behalf of the Cathedral, I wish you a blessed Christmas. The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett Dean 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/ Christmas Services The following services are either ticket only and fully subscribed or online only: The First Eucharist of Christmas is celebrated on Thursday 24 December at 11.00 p.m. and this service will be live- streamed via the Cathedral’s Facebook page. On Christmas Day at 11.30 a.m., a Sung Eucharist is also celebrated and live-streamed. At 3.30 p.m. on Christmas Day, Choral Evensong for Christmas Day is also broadcast. 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. Material in this order of service is reproduced under the Christian Copyright Licensing Scheme, and under CCL No 68670; MRL No 720413. Common Worship: Times and Seasons, extracts of which are included in the service © The Archbishop’s Council, 2006. Extracts from NRSV are © National Council for the Churches of Christ USA, 1985. In this compilation, © Durham Cathedral, 2019. 2 Voluntary La Nativité (from Poèmes Évangéliques) Jean Langlais Hymn Once in royal David’s city sung by the Choir Once in royal David’s city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby In a manger for his bed: Mary was that Mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child. He came down to earth from heaven Who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable, And his cradle was a stall; With the poor and mean and lowly Lived on earth our Saviour holy. And through all his wondrous childhood He would honour and obey, Love and watch the lowly maiden, In whose gentle arms he lay: Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as he. For he is our childhood’s pattern, Day by day like us he grew, He was little, weak, and helpless, Tears and smiles like us he knew: And he feeleth for our sadness, And he shareth in our gladness. 3 Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see him: but in heaven, Set at God’s right hand on high: When like stars his children crowned, All in white shall wait around. Cecil Frances Alexander Henry Gauntlett descant by James O’Donnell Bidding Prayer The Dean Beloved in Christ, be it this Christmas-tide our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger. Therefore let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; and let us make this Cathedral, dedicated to Him and Mary, his most blesséd Mother, glad with our carols of praise. But first, let us pray for the needs of the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all his people; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially within this City, County and Diocese of Durham. And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember, in his name, the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick in body and in mind and them that mourn—especially at this time of pandemic; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love. 4 Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in the Lord Jesus, we are for ever one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of Heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught 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. Dean May the Almighty God bless us with his grace; Christ give us the joys of everlasting life: and unto the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all. All Amen. Anthem The Sussex Carol sung by the Choir On Christmas night all Christians sing, To hear the news the angels bring— News of great joy, news of great mirth, News of our merciful King’s birth. 5 Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, When from our sin he set us free, All for to gain our liberty? When sin departs before his grace, Then life and health come in its place; Angels and men with joy may sing, All for to see the new-born King. All out of darkness we have light, Which made the angels sing this night: ‘Glory to God and peace to men, Now and for evermore. Amen.’ Traditional English carol Traditional English carol arranged by Philip Ledger First Lesson Micah 5. 2 - 4 read by Nicholas Lebey, Ordinand Cranmer Hall, Durham The prophet Micah foretells of a ruler coming out of Bethlehem But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. Anthem O radiant dawn sung by the Choir O radiant dawn, splendour of eternal Light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Isaiah had prophesied, ‘The people who walked in darkness have 6 seen a great light: upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.’ Amen. Antiphon for 21 December James MacMillan from The Strathclyde Motets Second Lesson Isaiah 9. 2, 6 - 7 read by William Johnson The prophet Isaiah foretells the Messiah’s birth The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Hymn Of the Father’s heart begotten sung by the Choir Of the Father’s heart begotten, Ere the world from chaos rose, He is Alpha: from that Fountain All that is and hath been flows; He is Omega, of all things Yet to come the mystic Close, Evermore and evermore. By his word was all created; He commanded and ‘twas done; Earth and sky and boundless ocean, Universe of three in one, All that sees the moon’s soft radiance, All that breathes beneath the sun, Evermore and evermore. 7 This is he, whom seer and sibyl Sang in ages long gone by; This is he of old revealed In the page of prophecy; Lo! he comes, the promised Saviour; Let the world his praises cry! Evermore and evermore. Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises; Angels and archangels, sing! Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful, Let your joyous anthems ring, Every tongue his name confessing, Countless voices answering, Evermore and evermore. Latin, Prudentius, Melody from Piae Cantiones translated by R F Davis descant by David Willcocks Third Lesson Isaiah 11. 1 - 10 read by Kieran McLaughlin, Headmaster, Durham School The prophet foretells of the coming of a king and the peaceful kingdom 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.