Choral Evensong for Candlemas

Welcome

Evensong is based upon a monastic office of the medieval Church. This version, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, has been a form of corporate prayer and worship for millions of Anglican Christians throughout the world for centuries. Whether you are familiar with these texts or whether this is a new experience for you we hope that through the music and words that are offered you will be able to come close to God.

Please join in with the words in bold type and stand, sit and kneel as you are able, indicated in italics.

Music at All Saints with Holy Trinity Parish Church

At All Saints, we are very proud of our vibrant choral tradition. Services are sung by our adult and children’s choir. As a church, we offer a variety of

singing workshop opportunities for the wider community. We are committed to using our strong choral tradition as a tool for mission through partnerships with local schools and community organisations.

If you would like more information about Music at All Saints, please contact [email protected].

The service begins with the introit When to the Temple Mary went by Johannes Eccard sung by the choir.

Introit

The minister gives an informal word of welcome, after which we stand to sing the hymn.

Hymn

 New light has dawned, the Son of God is here,
 a holy light no earthly light outshines;
 he light has dawned, the light that casts out fear,
the light that evil dreads and love defines.

 The light of glory shines to angels’ song,
the shepherds run to where a baby lies;
a servant of the Lord, who waited long,
acclaims the light to lighten Gentile eyes.

  And priestly men sit listening to a boy,
they see the dawning light within his face.
Such words they hear those Christ-child lips employ!
Amazing words of wisdom, truth and grace.

  O Christ, the light who came to us on earth,
shine through the shadow cast by human sin;
renew the faith you gave at our new birth,
destroy the dark, and let your light come in.

We remain standing.

Introduction

Beloved, we are come together in the presence of almighty God and of the whole company of heaven to offer unto him through our Lord Jesus Christ our worship and praise and thanksgiving; to make confession of our sins; to pray, as well for others as for our ourselves, that we may know more truly the greatness of God’s love and shew forth in our lives the fruits of his grace; and to ask on behalf of all men such things as their well-being doth require.

Wherefore let us kneel in silence, and remember God’s presence with us now.

We kneel or sit and after a short period of silence we join together in saying

 Almighty and most merciful Father,

we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against thy holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;

and there is no health in us.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.

Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent;

according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who desireth not the death of a sinner,

but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;

and hath given power, and commandment, to his ministers

to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,

the absolution and remission of their sins;

he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.

Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,

and his Holy Spirit,

that those things may please him which we do at this present;

and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy;

so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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 them that 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.

Amen.

 The choir and minister stand for the chanting of the Preces.

 Preces

O Lord, open thou our lips

and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

The congregation stands.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.

The Lord’s name be praised.

The congregation sits as the choir sings the appointed psalm.

Psalm 24, verses 7-10 set by William Matthias

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. 

We sit and remain seated for the readings and canticles sung by the choir.

First Reading

Hebrews 2.14

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Here ends the first reading.

The choir sings the canticles using the setting Stanford in C.

Magnificat

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.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son

and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be:

world without end.

Amen.

Second Reading

Luke 2.22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Here ends the second reading.

Nunc Dimittis

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant

depart in peace: according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation.

Which thou hast prepared:

before the face of all people.

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles:

and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son

and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be:

world without end.

Amen.

We stand to say the statement of Christian belief.

Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth:
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell;

the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from thence he shall come
to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Responses

The Lord be with you.

And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

The congregation sits or kneels for the prayers of the church.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

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 them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.

And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save the Queen.

And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy ministers with righteousness.

And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.

And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.

Because there is none other that fighteth for us,

but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.

And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Collect for Candlemas

Almighty and ever-living God,

we humbly beseech thy majesty,

that, as thy only begotten Son

was this day presented in the temple

in substance of our flesh,

so we may be presented unto thee

with pure and clean hearts,

by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Collect for Peace

O God, from whom all holy desires,

all good counsels, and all just works do proceed;

give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give;

that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments,

and also that, by thee,

we being defended from the fear of our enemies

may pass our time in rest and quietness;

through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen.

 Collect for Aid

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord;

and by thy great mercy

defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;

for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Anthem

We remain seated as the choir sings O thou the central orb by Charles Wood.

Address

We remain seated as the Address is given.

Prayers of Intercession 

We sit or kneel for prayers led by the minister, after which we say together:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,

be with us all evermore.

Amen.

Notices may be given, after which we stand to sing the final hymn.

Hymn

Hail to the Lord who comes,
comes to his temple gate,
     not with his angel host,
not in his kingly state:
     no shouts proclaim him nigh,
no crowds his coming wait.

But borne upon the throne
of Mary's gentle breast,
     watched by her duteous love,
in her fond arms at rest;
thus to his Father's house
 he comes, the heavenly guest.

 There Joseph at her side
  in reverent wonder stands;
 and, filled with holy joy,
   old Simeon in his hands
 takes up the promised child,
   the glory of all lands.

Hail to the great First-born,
     whose ransom-price they pay,
the Son before all worlds,
      the child of man to-day,
that he might ransom us
      who still in bondage lay.

  O Light of all the earth,
      thy children wait for thee:
come to thy temples here,
      that we, from sin set free,
before thy Father's face
      may all presented be.

We remain standing for the closing prayer.

Closing Prayer

We sit to listen to the organ voluntary.

Organ Voluntary

Coming Up at All Saints

Choral Evensong

Sunday the 6th of March for the first Sunday of Lent

Weekday Evensong

A simpler setting of evensong is sung by the choir most

Thursdays at 5.30pm.

Tasting Notes

A monthly free half hour recital featuring talented local young music scholars. Next concert is on Tuesday 1st February at 1.00pm.