St. Giles’ Cathedral
Morning Service at 11am
1st Sunday after Christmas
Sunday 31st December 202
Organ Music
Richard Drakeford Carol Prelude on Adeste fideles
Healey Willan Prelude on This endris nyght
Léonce de Saint-Martin Berceuse de Noël
Introit
Ding dong! merrily on high
Ding! dong! merrily on high
In heav'n the bells are ringing;
Ding! dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angel singing.
Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!
E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And 'Io, io, io!'
By priest and people sungen:
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers!
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers!
Text: George Ratcliffe Woodward 1848-1934
Music: 16th century French melody harmonised Charles Wood
Processional Hymn
It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
'Peace on the earth, good will to men
from heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
with peaceful wings unfurled;
and still their heavenly music floats
o'er all the weary world:
above its sad and lowly plains
they bend on hovering wing;
and ever o'er its Babel-sounds
the blessed angels sing.
But with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angels’ hymn have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and warring humankind hears not
the love-song which they bring:
oh, hush the noise and still the strife,
and hear the angels sing.
For lo, the days are hastening on,
by prophet-bards foretold,
when, with the ever-rolling years,
still dawns the Age of Gold;
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world give back the song
which now the angels sing.
Text: Edmund Hamilton Sears 1810-76
Tune: Noel CH4 303 Traditional adapted by Arthur Sullivan 1842-1900
Scripture Sentences
The Preces
O Lord open thou our lips
Bernard Rose 1916-1996
Bidding
Prayer
Collect
Almighty God, you have shed upon us the new light of your incarnate Word. Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Lesson Isaiah 61 10 – 62 3
The Choir sings the Psalm 148
Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.
He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
Second Lesson St Luke 2 22-40
Hymn
On Christmas night all Christians sing
to hear the news the angels bring;
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.
Then why should we on earth be so sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
then why should we 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;
when sin departs before his grace
then life and health come in its place;
heaven and earth 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:
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
'Glory to God, on earth be peace,
goodwill to all shall never cease.'
Text: English traditional after Luke Wadding d.1686
Tune: Sussex Carol CH4 294 English Traditional harm. R.Vaughan Williams 1872-1958
Sermon
Anthem
O magnum mysterium
O great mystery,
And wonderful sacrament,
That animals should see the newborn Lord
Lying in a manger
Morten Lauridsen b.1943
The Offering
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.
Hymn
Praise the One who blessed the children
with a strong yet gentle word.
Praise the One who drove out demons
with a piercing two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water
to the desert's burning sand.
From this well comes living water
quenching thirst in every land.
Praise the one true love incarnate:
Christ who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose for many
that we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness
seeing what our God has done.
Praise the one redeeming glory.
Praise the One who makes us one.
Text: Rusty Edwards b.1955
Music: Joel CH4 348 Sally Ann Morris b.1952
Benediction
Organ Voluntary
Gaston Litaize Variations sur un Noël Angevin
CCL Licence No 980930
Streaming Licence 57837
The service was conducted by The Rev Sam Nwokoro