A Festival of

Lessons and Carols

4th & 7th December 2014

College Chaplains Rev. Cate Irvine and Fr. John Dickson

The Royal Holloway Chapel Choir

Director of Choral Music and College Organist Mr Rupert Gough

Welcome to the College Chapel of Royal Holloway, University of London as we celebrate the festival of Christmas through readings and music.

Christmas is a joyful celebration of God’s love made real among all people; so it is with particular pleasure that we welcome representatives of the Jewish and Islamic

faiths, which have so much shared heritage with Christianity.

The Chaplaincy and Faith Support Team represents people of all beliefs on campus, and a key part of our work is to build relationships and understanding among different faith groups. This is reflected in our choices of readings and readers.

We hope, that whatever your beliefs are, you will find joy and inspiration in the music and readings this evening, and in our celebration that the light of God’s love

is made known in the world through the birth of Jesus.

A collection will be taken during the third hymn, “O come all ye faithful”.

Please ensure that all mobile phones are switched off before the service begins.

Organ music before the service played by James Kealey, Senior Organ Scholar

Hymne V. ‘A solis ortus’ Nicolas deGrigny (1672 - 1703)

i. Plein Jeu

ii. Fugue à 5

iii. Trio

iv. Point d’Orgue sur les Grand Jeux

The Holy Boy John Ireland (1879-1962)

Dessiens Eternals (from ‘La Nativité de Seigneur’) Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)

Prelude and Fugue in C Major (BWV 545) J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)

Ave Maris Stella I (Op. 18, No. 6) Marcel Dupré (1886 - 1971)

Ave Maris Stella II (Op. 18, No. 7)

Choral Prelude on ‘Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen’ Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

Hymn

Please stand for the processional hymn

Solo 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.

Choir only 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, the scorned, the lowly, lived on earth our Saviour holy.

All 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.

And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that Child so dear and gentle is our Lord from 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.

Music: H.J. Gauntlett (1805 -1976), descant by Rupert Gough Words: C.F.Alexander (1818 – 1895)

Please sit

WELCOME

BIDDING PRAYER

CHOIR

The Sussex Carol Words & Music: English Traditional arr. David Willcocks (b. 1919)

1ST READING:

GOD’S PROMISE OF LASTING PEACE AMONG ALL PEOPLE

Isaiah 2:1-5

CHOIR

Adam Lay Ybounden Music: Howard Skempton (b. 1947) Words: anon. English 15th century

CHOIR

A Tender Shoot Music: Otto Goldschmidt (1829-1907) Words: English text by William Bartholomew (1793-1867)

2ND READING:

LOOKING FOR GOD’S KINGDOM

Drink the Word of Wisdom (Rumi MASNAVI III:1286-8)

Hymn

Please stand to sing

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in Thee tonight.

O morning stars together Proclaim the holy birth, And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth! For Christ is born of Mary; And, gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wond’ring love.

Choir only How silently, how silently The wonderous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.

All O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today! We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel.

Music: Trad. Eng., arr. Vaughan Williams. Verse 3 arr. Henry Walford Davies

Words: Philips Brooks

Please sit

CHOIR

On Christmas Night Words & Music: James Burton (b. 1974)

3RD READING:

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO MARY

The Angel and the Girl Edwin Muir

CHOIR

Gabriel’s Message Music: Basque Carol arr. Jim Clements (b. 1983) Words: Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)

CHOIR

O Little One Sweet Music: Alexander Turner (RHUL 1st year student) Words: Traditional, translated by Percy Dreamer (1867-1936)

4TH READING:

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Matthew 1:18-25

CHOIR

Bogoroditse Dyevo Music: Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) Words: Liturgy of Vespers

Virgin Mother of God, Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, For you gave birth to the saviour of our souls.

Hymn

Please stand to sing

O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the King of angels; O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. God of God, Light of Light, lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb; very God, begotten not created; O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, in the highest; O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Music: John Francis Wade (1711-1786) descant by David Wilcocks

Words: trans. F. Oakley, W.T.Brook and others

Please sit

5TH READING:

THE SHEPHERDS GO TO THE MANGER

Luke 2: 8-16

CHOIR

Away in a Manger Music: Melody by William J. Kirkpatrick, arr. Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) Words: unknown

CHOIR

The Lamb Music: George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) Words: William Blake (1757-1827)

6TH READING:

THE MAGI ARE LED BY THE STAR TO JESUS

‘The Journey of the Magi’ TS Eliot

CHOIR

The Kings Music: Chorale melody by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608), solo melody by Peter Cornelius (1824-74) Words: Chorale by William Mercer (1811-73), solo by Peter Cornelius, translated by W.G. Rothery

CHOIR

Verbum Caro Factum Est Music: Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) Words: Final responsory of Christmas Matins

And the word was made flesh. And dwelt among us, And we beheld his glory, And glory as of the only-begotten by the Father, Full of grace and truth.

Please stand for the Gospel Reading

7TH READING:

THE GOSPEL OF THE INCARNATION

John 1:1-14

Please sit

CHOIR

Ding Dong! Merrily on High Music: 16th century French, arr. Mack Wilburg (b. 1955) Words: George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934)

Hymn

Please stand to sing

Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the new-born King; peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic host proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem.' Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the new-born King.

Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of a Virgin's womb! Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail, the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing...

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings; mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing...

Music: Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847), descant by David Wilcocks Words: C. Wesley, T. Whitefield, M. Madan, and others

Please remain standing

CLOSING RESPONSES & COLLECT

The Lord be with you and also with you.

Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Almighty God, you make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

THE BLESSING

May he who by his incarnation gathered into one, things earthly and heavenly, bestow upon 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. Amen.

Please remain standing whilst the procession leaves.

ORGAN VOLUNTARY

played by James Kealey, Senior Organ Scholar

Carillon de Westminster (from ‘Pièces de Fantasie’) Louis Vierne (1870-1937)

If you would like to donate specifically to the Choir, you can do so at their stall. You can also support them by buying their CDs following the service.

Please ask the Director of Choral Music for more information, or speak to one of the sellers.

For information on services and music in the Chapel at Royal Holloway: find us on www.rhul.ac.uk/chaplaincy; www.chapelchoir.co.uk

www.facebook.com/RHULChaplaincy or follow @RHULChaplaincy on Twitter.

The Chaplaincy & Choirs of Royal Holloway

Wish you a joyful Christmas Season

And a peaceful new year