St. Giles’ Cathedral
Morning Service at 9.30am
Easter Day
Sunday 31st March 2024
Organ Music
Herbert Howells Sarabande for the morning of Easter
C.V.Stanford At Eastertide
Introit
Christ the Lord is risen today
Christ the Lord is ris’n today. Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Sing, ye heav’ns and earth reply, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ has burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids his rise,
Christ has opened paradise! Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and heav’n! Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be giv’n, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now,
Hail, the Resurrection, Thou! Alleluia!
Text: Charles Wesley 1707-1788
Music: Noel de Jongh b.1930
Minister: The Lord is risen!
All: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Minister: Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
All: Let us celebrate the feast! Alleluia!
Processional Hymn
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing
unto Christ, our heavenly King,
who endured the Cross and grave,
sinners to redeem and save.
But the anguish he endured
our salvation has procured;
now in heaven Christ is King,
where the angels ever sing.
Sing we to our God above
praise eternal as his love;
praise him, all you heavenly host,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Lyra Davidica 1708
Music: Easter Hymn CH4 410 Melody from Lyra Davidica 1708
Call to Prayer
Prayer
Gloria in Excelsis sung by the choir
Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, goodwill towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Spatzenmesse W.A.Mozart
First Lesson Acts 10 34-43
Hymn
The Saviour died, but rose again
triumphant from the grave;
and pleads our cause at God's right hand,
omnipotent to save.
Who then can e'er divide us more
from Jesus and his love,
or break the sacred chain that binds
the earth to heaven above?
Let troubles rise, and terrors frown,
and days of darkness fall;
through him all dangers we'll defy,
and more than conquer all.
Nor death nor life, nor earth nor hell,
nor time's destroying sway,
can e'er efface us from his heart,
or make his love decay.
Each future period that will bless,
as it has blessed the past;
he loved us from the first of time,
he loves us to the last.
Text: Scottish Paraphrases 1781 From Romans 8: 34-end
Music: St Andrew CH4 425 Melody from Tans’ur’s New Harmony of Zion 1764
The Gospel St Mark 16 1-8
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Offering
The Intercessions
Hymn
Ye gates lift up your heads on high;
ye doors that last for ay
be lifted up, that so the King
of glory enter may!
But who of glory is the King?
The mighty Lord is this,
ev'n that same Lord, that great in might
and strong in battle is.
Ye gates, lift up your heads; ye doors,
doors that do last for aye
be lifted up, that so the King
of glory enter may!
But who is he that is the King
of glory? who is this?
The Lord of hosts, and none but he,
the King of glory is.
Text: Scottish Psalter 1929 Psalm 24 vv7-10
Music: St George’s (Edinburgh) CH4 19 Andrew Mitchell Thomson 1778-1831
Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise
Prayer
Sanctus sung by the choir
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Glory be to you, O Lord Most High.
Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord:
Hosanna in the highest.
Spatzenmesse W.A.Mozart
Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in 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.
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world,
Grant us your peace.
Holy Communion
During Communion the Choir sings
Magdalen cease from sobs and sighs
Magdalen cease from sobs and sighs;
Wipe the tear-drops from off thine eyes:
Simon the leper’s feast is o’er;
Christ today needs thy nard no more.
Now thousand time may’st thou rejoice;
Now thousand times uplift thy voice.
Magdalen, bind upon thee now
Garland of gladness o’er thy brow:
Banish’d afar is grief and pain:
Welcome is sunshine after rain.
For Jesus Christ the world hath freed,
Triumphing over Death indeed.
Text: From Pone luctum, Magdalena, tr. G.R.Woodward
Music: Melody of Nicht ruhen Magdalena kundt arr. Peter Hurford 1930-2019
The Peace
Prayer
Hymn
The day of resurrection,
Earth, tell it out abroad!
the passover of gladness,
the passover of God!
From death to life eternal,
from sin’s dominion free,
our Christ has brought us over
with hymns of victory.
Our hearts be pure from evil,
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light;
and, listening to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own 'All hail!' and, hearing
may raise the victor strain.
Now let the heavens be joyful,
and earth her song begin,
the round world keep high triumph
and all that is therein;
let all things seen and unseen
their notes of gladness blend,
for Christ the Lord has risen,
our Joy that has no end.
Text: St John of Damascus d.c750 Tr J.M.Neale 1818-66
Tune: Ellacombe CH4 413 18th Cent. German melody
Benediction
Organ Voluntary
Henri Mulet Carillon-Sortie
CCL Licence No 980930
Streaming Licence 57837
The service was conducted by The Rev Dr George J Whyte