An Advent Carol and Readings Service
Patterned after the service performed annually at St. John's College, Cambridge. Additional texts from the Book of Common Prayer (1979), Lutheran Worship (1982) the web site Liturgy-dot-net, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (King's College, Cambridge), and the King James Version of the Bible.
Following some readings, there is an unchanging hymn over the years.
Following
other readings, there have been a variety of carols, hymns or motets
performed.
If there is a Public Domain text version available for
any of them, it is provided.
The
Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, has released a recording of
an Advent Service with the title “Advent Carols”
(1994).
Another of their recordings is “Fear and Rejoice, O
People: Music for Advent & Christmas” (1999).
Both
recordings are available at Emusic.com.
Advent Prose:
Words: William Dunbar
Music: "Rorate," Traditional Scottish tune
1. Rorate coeli desuper!
Heavens,
distil your balmy showers;
For now is risen the bright
Daystar,
From the rose Mary, flower of flowers:
The clear Sun,
whom no cloud devours,
Surmounting Phoebus in the east,
Is
comen of His heav’nly towers,
Et nobis puer natus est.
2. Sinners be glad, and penance
do,
And thank your maker heartfully;
For He that ye might not
come to,
To you is comen, fully humbly,
Your soulès with
His blood to buy,
And loose you of the fiend’s arrest,
And
only of His own mercy;
Pro nobis puer natus est.
3. Celestial fowlès in the
air,
Sing with your notès upon the height,
In firthès
and in forests fair
Be mirthful now at all your might;
For
passèd is your dully night;
Aurora has the cloudès
pierced,
The sun is risen with gladsome light,
Et nobis puer
natus est.
4. Sing, heaven imperial, most of
height,
Regions of air make harmony,
All fish in flood and fowl
of flight,
Be mirthful and make melody;
All Gloria in
excelsis cry,
Heaven, earth, sea, man, bird and beast;
He
that is crowned above the sky
Pro nobis puer natus est.
Processional Hymn:
For Advent
Version 1
Words:
Veni,
Veni, Emanuel (the "O" Antiphons),
Authorship
Unknown, 8th Century Latin;
Published: Psalteriolum
Cantionum Catholicarum,
Köln, 1710.
Translated from Latin to English by John
Mason Neale, Draw
Nigh, Draw Nigh, Emmanuel
in Mediaeval
Hymns and Sequences,
1851.
Neale's
original translation began, "Draw nigh, draw nigh,
Emmanuel."
Neale only translated 5 of the 7 Antiphons
This version by John Mason Neale, "Altered by Compilers.
Music:
"Veni Emmanuel," 15th Century French Plain Song
melody,
Arranged and harmonized by Thomas
Helmore in
Hymnal
Noted, Part II (London:
1854).
Based on a 15th
Century French Processional
(Some
sources give a Gregorian, 8th
Century origin.)
Meter:
88 88 88
Source: Louis Coucier Biggs, ed., Hymns Ancient and Modern (London: Novello & Co., 1867), #36, pp. 40-41.
"The Redeemer shall come to
Zion"
Isaiah 59:20
1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And
ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until
the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
2. 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. Refrain
3. O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and
cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy
clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight! Refrain
4. 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. Refrain
5. O come, O come, Thou Lord of
Might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times
didst give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe. Refrain
Sheet Music from J. H.
Hopkins, Great Hymns of the Church Compiled By The Late Right
Reverend John Freeman Young
(New York:
James Pott & Company, 1887),
pp. 76-77
Bidding Prayer
Beloved in Christ, in this season of Advent, let it be our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the Angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem, to see 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 his holy Child; and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise.
But first, let us pray for the needs of the 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 whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one.
These prayer and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us:
Our Father...
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. Amen.
Carol
A Tender Shoot (Otto Goldschmidt)
Adam lay ybounden (Warlock)
Adam lay ybounden
Words and Music:
Traditional English
15th Century
Source: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), Page # 163
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 clerkës finden written In their book. Nor had one apple taken been, The apple taken been, Then had never Our Lady A-been heaven's queen. Blessed be the time That apple taken was. Therefore we may singen Deo gratias!
I :The Message of Advent
Sentence and Collect
Alleluia. Alleluia. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter in. Alleluia.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Antiphon:
O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: COME, and teach us the way of prudence.
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Who madest all in earth and sky,
Creating man from dust and clay:
To us reveal Salvation’s way.
"The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord."
Isaiah 11:2-3
"Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom."
Isaiah 28:29
Antiphon:
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: COME, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
"But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips."
Isaiah 11:4-5
"Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us."
Isaiah 33:22
First lesson: Isaiah 11:1-5:
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit OF THE LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear OF THE LORD;
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear OF THE LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Carol
Threshold of Night (Tarik O'Regan)
A Hymn of St Columba (Britten)
There is no rose (John Joubert)
There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue
English Traditional, c. 1420
1. There is no rose of such
virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu;
Alleluia.
2. For in this rose contained
was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res
miranda.
3. By that rose we may well see
That
he is God in persons three,
Pari forma.
4. The angels sungen the shepherds
to:
Gloria in excelsis deo:
Gaudeamus.
5. Leave we all this worldly
mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth;
Transeamus.
6. Alleluia, res miranda,
Pares
forma, gaudeamus,
Transeamus.
Second lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Anthem / Motet
One foot in Eden (Nicholas Maw)
This is the record of John (Orlando Gibbons)
Vigilate (Byrd)
II: The Word of God
Sentence and Collect
Alleluia. Alleluia. Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him, all mankind will see God's salvation. Alleluia.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Antiphon:
O ROOT OF JESSE, which stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: COME, to deliver us, and tarry not.
O come, O 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
"But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom."
Isaiah 11:1
"On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious."
Isaiah 11:10
Antiphon:
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: COME, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
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.
"And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open."
Isaiah 22:22
"His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever."
Isaiah 9:6
Carol or Motet
Carol: This have I done for my true love (Gustav Holst)
Carol: Out of your sleep (Anthony Milner)
Motet: The cry of Elisha after Elijah (Geraint Lewis)
Third lesson: Micah 4:1-4
But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house OF THE LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain OF THE LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word OF THE LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth OF THE LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Carol or Motet
Carol: E'en so Lord Jesus (Paul Manz)
Motet: Vox Dicentis, Clama (Edward Naylor)
Motet: Richte Mich Gott (Felix Mendelssohn Barthody)
Carol: The Truth from above (Vaughan Williams)
The Truth Sent From Above
Words and Music: English Traditional
Source: Cecil J. Sharp, English Folk-Carols (London: Novello & Co., Ltd., 1911), pp. 46-7.
1. 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.
2. The first thing,
which I do relate,
That God at first did man create
The next
thing, which to you I tell,
Woman was made with him to dwell.
3. Then after this,
‘twas God’s own choice
To place them both in
Paradise,
There to remain from evil free
Except they ate of
such a tree.
4. But they did eat,
which was a sin,
And thus their ruin did begin;
Ruined
themselves, both you and me,
And all of their posterity.
5. Thus we were heirs
to endless woes,
Till God the Lord did interpose
For so a
promise soon did run
That He’d redeem us with a Son.
6. And at this season
of the year
Our blest Redeemer did appear
He here did live,
and here did preach,
And many thousands He did teach.
7. 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.
8. Go preach the Gospel
new, He said,
To all the nations that are made
And he that
does believe in me,
From all his sins I’ll set him free.
9. God grant to all
within this place
True saving faith—that special grace,
Which to His people doth belong—
And thus I close my
Christmas song.
Sheet Music From Sharp
Fourth lesson: Luke 4:14-21
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Hymn:
Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus
For Advent
Words: Charles Wesley, 1744, Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord
Music:
"Hyfrydol" by Rowland
Huw Prichard, 1830
Meter: 87 87 D
Haggai 2:7
And I
will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:
and I will fill this house with glory, saith THE LORD of hosts.
1. Come, Thou long-expected
Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins
release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
2. Israel's strength and
consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of
every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
3. Born Thy people to deliver,
Born
a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now thy
gracious kingdom bring.
4. By Thine own eternal
Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone:
By Thine all-sufficient
merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne. Amen.
Sheet Music by G. P. Root from John Clark Hollister, ed., The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), #1, p. 15.
III: The Prophetic Call
Sentence and Collect
Alleluia. Alleluia. I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. Alleluia.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Antiphon:
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice: COME, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night,
And pierce the clouds, and bring us light!
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown."
Isaiah 9:1
Antiphon:
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: COME, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.
O come, Desire of nations, show
Thy Kingly rein on earth below;
Thou Corner-stone, uniting all,
Restore the ruin of our fall.
"For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:5
"He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again."
Isaiah 2:4
Carol
A Hymn to the Virgin (Britten)
Out of your sleep (Nelson)
Laetentur coeli (Mathias)
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (arr. David Willcocks)
Traditional English
Source: William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London: Richard Beckley, 1833)
1. Tomorrow shall be my dancing
day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my
play,
To call my true love to my dance;
Chorus
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love
2. Then was I born of a virgin
pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance
Thus was I knit to man's
nature
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus
3. In a manger laid, and wrapped I
was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly
poor ass
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus
Fifth lesson: Malachi 3:1-7
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Carol
This is the record of John (Gibbons)
Mary's Magnificat (Roger Hemingway)
E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come (Paul Manz)
The Clouded Heaven (Judith Bingham)
A spotless rose (Herbert Howells)
Words:
Es
Ist Ein Ros,
15th Century German carol,
Translator Catherine Winkworth, 1869
A spotless Rose is blowing Sprung from a tender root, Of ancient seers’ foreshowing, Of Jesse promised fruit; Its fairest bud unfolds to light Amid the cold, cold winter And in the dark midnight. The Rose which I am singing, Whereof Isaiah said, Is from its sweet root springing In Mary, purest Maid; For through our God’s great love and might The blessed babe she bare us In a cold, cold winter’s night.
Sixth lesson: Matthew 3:1-11
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Hymn:
Version 1
Words:
Jordanis
oras praevia, Charles
Coffin, Paris
Breviary,
1736.
Translated from Latin to English by John
Chandler (1806-1876), 1837
Music:
"Winchester New," Musikalisches
Handbuch
(Hamburg, Germany: 1690);
Harmonized by William
Henry Monk, 1847, alt.
Meter: LM
Source: W. H. Monk and C. Steggall, eds., Hymns Ancient and Modern (London, William Clowes and Sons, Old Edition, 1889), Hymn 50
1. On Jordan’s bank, the
Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake, and
hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings!
2. Then cleansed be every breast
from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in
our hearts a home
Where such a mighty Guest may come.
3. For Thou art our Salvation,
Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace we
waste away,
Like flowers that wither and decay.
4. To heal the sick stretch out
Thine hand,
And bid the fallen sinner stand;
Shine forth, and
let Thy light restore
Earth's own true lovliness once more.
5. Stretch forth thine hand, to heal
our sore,
And make us rise to fall no more;
Once more upon thy
people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.
6. All praise, eternal Son, to
Thee
Whose advent sets Thy people free,
Whom, with the Father,
we adore,
And Holy Ghost, forevermore.
Sheet Music from John Clark Hollister, ed., The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), #2, p. 16.
IV: The Christ Bearer
Sentence and Collect
Alleluia. Alleluia. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call him Immanuel. Alleluia.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Antiphon:
O EMMANUEL, God with us, Our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour: COME to save us, O Lord our God.
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
"The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."
Isaiah 7:14
Carol
Ave Maria (Robert Parsons)
Telling God's story (Richard Wilberforce)
Motet: Ave Maria (Victoria)
There is no rose (Benjamin Britten)
English Traditional, c. 1420
1. There is no rose of such
virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu;
Alleluia.
2. For in this rose contained
was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res
miranda.
3. By that rose we may well see
That
he is God in persons three,
Pari forma.
4. The angels sungen the shepherds
to:
Gloria in excelsis deo:
Gaudeamus.
5. Leave we all this worldly
mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth;
Transeamus.
6. Alleluia, res miranda,
Pares
forma, gaudeamus,
Transeamus.
Seventh lesson: Luke 1:39-49
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said,
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said,
My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
Optional Seventh Lesson: Micah 5:2-4
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Motet or Carol
Motet: Ave Maria (Edward Elgar)
Carol: There is no rose (Joubert)
Motet: I sing of a maiden (Lennox Berkeley)
I SING OF A MAIDEN
Words
and Music: English Folk, Fifteenth century
from The Sloane
Manuscript
Source: Edith
Rickert, Ancient
English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700
(London: Chatto & Windus, 1914)
1. I sing of a maiden
That is
makeless;
King of all kings
To her son she ches.
2. He came all so still
Where his
mother was,
As dew in April
That falleth on the grass.
3. He came all so still
To his
mother’s bower,
As dew in April
That falleth on the
flower.
4. He came all so still
Where his
mother lay,
As dew in April
That falleth on the spray.
5. Mother and maiden
Was never
none but she;
Well may such a lady
Godës mother be.
Magnificat:
Collegium Sancti Johannis Cantabrigense (Herbert Howells)
Jackson in G
Chichester Service (Walton)
Magnificat in B minor (Howells)
The Magnificat
The Canticle of the Blessed Virgin
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.
Sheet Music "Magnificat" by Henry Smart from Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., Hymns of the Kingdom of God. New York: The A. S. Barnes Company, 1910, #497.
Eighth lesson: John 3:1-8
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Optional Eighth Lesson: Revelation 22:1-7
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Sentence and Christmas Collect
Alleluia. Alleluia. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Alleluia.
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Carol
Bethlehem Down (Peter Warlock)
There Is a Flower (John Rutter)
Benedicamus Domino (Warlock)
Lullay my liking (Francis Pott)
Lullay My Liking
Words and Music: English Traditional, Fifteenth Century
Version 1
Music Composed by Gustov Holtz, 1916, Op. 34, No. 2
Refrain:
Lullay my liking,
my dear Son, my Sweeting;
Lullay my dear Heart,
mine own dear Darling.
1. I saw a fair
maiden
sitten and sing:
She lulled a little child,
A sweete
Lording
Lullay my liking . . .
2. That Eternal Lord is
He
That made alle thing;
Of alle Lordes He is Lord,
Of every
King He's King.
Lullay my liking . . .
3. There was mickle
melody
At that childes birth:
Though the songsters were
heavenly
They made mickle mirth.
Lullay
my liking . . .
4. Angels bright they
sang that night
And saiden to that Child
"Blessed be Thou
and so be she
That is so meek and mild."
Lullay my liking . . .
5. Pray we now to that
child,
As to His Mother dear,
God grant them all His
blessing
That now maken cheer.
Lullay my
liking . . .
Hymn:
For Advent
Words: Rev. John Cennick, 1750, and
Rev. Charles Wesley, 1758
Alt. Rev. M. Madan, 1760
Music:
Helmsley
Meter:
8 7 8 7 4 7
Source: W. H. Monk and C. Steggall, eds., Hymns Ancient and Modern (London, William Clowes and Sons, Old Edition, 1889), Hymn 51
1. Lo! he comes, with clouds
descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand
saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia!
Christ
appears on earth again.
2. 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 the true Messiah see.
3. Those dear tokens of His
Passion
Still His dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless
exultation
To His ransomed worshipers:
With what rapture
Gaze
we on those glorious scars!
4. Now redemption, long
expected,
See in solemn pomp appear:
All his saints, by men
rejected,
Now shall meet him in the air:
Alleluia!
See the
day of God appear.
5. Yea, amen; let all adore
thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and
glory;
Claim the kingdoms for Thine own:
Alleluia!
Thou
shalt reign, and Thou alone.
6. Yet with mingled hope and
fearing,
Wait we still our Judge to see;
In the day of Thine
appearing.
Spotless blameless may be be!
Ever watching,
Teach
us, Lord, to welcome Thee. Amen.
Sheet Music from John Clark Hollister, ed., The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), #4, p. 18.
Closing Prayer and Blessing
Proclaimer: The Lord be with you.
Congregation: And with thy spirit.
Proclaimer:
Let us pray.
O God, who makes us glad with the
yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only son, Jesus Christ: Grant
that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer, so we may with sure
confidence behold him, when he shall come to be our judge; who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without
end.
Congregation: Amen.
Proclaimer: May he who by his Incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, grant you the fullness of inward peace and goodwill; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.
Congregation: Amen.
Organ Voluntary:
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Chorale Prelude 'Wachet auf!' BWV 645 (J S Bach)
