A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL OF LESSONS & CAROLS Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 7:00 pm Grace Church Cathedral In the City of Charleston The Diocese of South Carolina Lessons and Carols Our Christmas service of Lessons and Carols is based on a similar service celebrated at King’s College, Cambridge. The first Lessons and Carols service there was held on Christmas Eve in 1918. It was conceived by Eric Milner-White, the Dean of the College, whose experience as an army chaplain had led him to believe that more imaginative worship was needed by the Church of England. The order of service was adapted from an order drawn up by Edward White Benson, who would later become Archbishop of Canterbury, for use at a 10:00 p.m. service on Christmas Eve in 1880 that took place in a temporary wooden shed serving as his cathedral in Truro, Cornwall. The purpose of the service, which was based on an idea of the future Bishop of Edinburgh, George Henry Somerset Walpole, was to keep men out of pubs on Christmas Eve. The format of the service has not changed substantially from the one in use at King’s College to this day. The order of the lessons was revised in 1919, and since that time the service has always begun with the hymn “Once in Royal David’s City”. These days, the first verse is sung unaccompanied by a solo chorister. To avoid putting the chorister under undue stress, he is not told that he will be singing the solo until just before the service is to begin. Grace Church Cathedral is pleased to share this tradition with our community. It is a true Christmas gift. The Very Reverend J. Michael A. Wright, Rector and Dean † † † Service Participants Officiant The Very Reverend J. Michael A. Wright Dean and Rector, Grace Church Cathedral Music St. Gregory Chamber Choir Bill Anonie & Kyle Lane, Trumpets Nigel Potts, Canon Organist and Master of the Music Parks Greene, Sub-Organist Lectors Canon Jean Bender Dr. James Hutchisson The Reverend Ross Tortora The Reverend Mac Magee The Reverend Bryce Wandrey The Reverend Canon Caleb J. Lee The Venerable Calhoun Walpole St. Thomas Guild of Acolytes Dr. James Hutchisson, Verger Cover image: The Nativity, Domenico Ghirlandaio, c. 1492, tempera on panel Grace Church Cathedral In the City of Charleston Christmas Lessons and Carols December 13, 2020 Welcome to Grace Church Cathedral, celebrating our 175th year of service and worship in Charleston. Please silence all electronic devices before the liturgy begins. Prelude “Adeste Fidelis” in an Organ Prelude Charles Ives (1874-1954) The Sussex Carol arr. Christina Harmon Chorale Prelude on “Silent Night” Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Please stand. Hymn Once in royal David’s city Irby, arr. James O’Donnell Solo: Once in royal David’s city Choir: He came down to earth from heaven Stood a lowly cattle shed, Who is God and Lord of all, Where a mother laid her baby And his shelter was a stable, In a manger for his bed: And his cradle was a stall; Mary was that mother mild, With the poor and mean and lowly Jesus Christ her little child. Lived on earth our Savior holy. The procession begins. The congregation is invited to sing, but we ask that you please keep your mask on. All: And through all his wondrous childhood He would honor 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. And our eyes at last shall see him, Through his own redeeming love, For that child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above; And he leads his children on To the place where he is gone. 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. Words: Cecil Frances Alexander Page 3 Bidding Prayer The Dean: Beloved in Christ, in this season, let it be 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. 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 place glad with our carols of praise. But first, let us pray for the needs of his whole world; for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for the mission and unity of the Church for which he died, and especially in this country and within this city. And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick and those who mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; and all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God his pure and lowly Mother, and all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us: The Lord’s Prayer 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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Dean: 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. People: Amen. Please be seated. Page 4 The Invitatory Choir What cheer Sir William Walton What cheer? Good cheer! Be merry and glad this good New Year! “Lift up your hearts and be glad In Christ’s birth,” the angel bade, Say each to other, if any be sad: “What cheer? What cheer?” Now the King of heav’n his birth hath take, Joy and mirth we ought to make; Say each to other, for his sake: “What cheer? What cheer?” I tell you all with heart so free: Right welcome, welcome, ye be to me; Be glad and merry, for charity! What cheer? Good cheer! Be merry and glad this good New Year! -From Richard Hill’s Commonplace Book I. GOD TELLS SINFUL ADAM THAT HE HAS LOST THE LIFE OF PARADISE Genesis 3:8-15 Reader: Canon Jean Bender And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Reader: The Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Choir Adam lay ybounden Boris Ord Adam lay ybounden, bounden in a bond; four thousand winter thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, an apple that he took, as clerkes finden written in their book. Ne had the apple taken been, the apple taken been, ne had never our lady abeen heavené queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken was, therefore we moun singen, Deo gracias! Words: Anonymous, 15th century Please stand. Page 5 Hymn Joy to the world! Antioch (Hymn 100) 1. Joy to the world! The Lord is come: 3. No more let sins and sorrows grow, let earth receive her King; nor thorns infest the ground; let every heart prepare him room, he comes to make his blessings flow and heaven and nature sing, far as the curse is found, and heaven and nature sing, far as the curse is found, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.