All Saints Parish ChurchKingston upon Thames

Carol Service20th December 2020

ChristmasOf all the Christian festivals, Christmas is perhaps the mostevocative and widely known but, behind it, lies the simplesuggestion that we are not alone. That in a confusing, and oftenpainful, world God’s life overlaps with ours, releasing energyand insight to help us cope with the realities that we face.

From a fragile and vulnerable beginning, meeting our precariousexistence head on, comes a life which shows us that when we arecompassionate and merciful, when we forgive and forbear, whenwe love and live with joy in the present moment, then we let thelife of God be born in us as it was in Jesus.

The service this afternoon follows in the tradition of the ninelessons and carols, that started in the 19th century but is bestknown through the broadcast from Kings College, Cambridgeon Christmas Eve. Though ours is a shorter version it still tellsof how the promises of God, foretold in the older Jewishscriptures, have been fulfilled for Christian people in the life ofJesus. Christmas speaks of the beginning of that life, though thethemes of suffering and difficulty that will be evident later on,are pointed to even at the start.

There will be a retiring collection at the north door, taken incash, by card or from your phone using the QR code on theback page, in aid of the work of All Saints Church.

Please keep 2 metres distance from people not in yourhousehold, keep a mask on at all times, use the sanitiser as youcome in and go out, and leave by the north (John Lewis) door.

We greatly regret that Government guidelines do not allowfor congregational singing, so all the Carols will be sung by

the choir only, however, please stand for them.Please do not sing.

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All stand for the opening hymn. Please do not sing.

Once in royal David’s cityStood a lowly cattle shed,Where a mother laid her babyIn a manger for His bed:Mary was that mother mild,Jesus Christ her little child.

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, and mean, and lowly,Lived on earth our Saviour Holy.

And through all His wondrous childhoodHe would honour and obey,Love and watch the lowly Maiden,In whose gentle arms He lay:Christian children all must beMild, obedient, good as He.

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 crownedAll in white shall wait around.

Words: Mrs C F Alexander (1818–1895)Tune: ‘Irby’, by H J Gauntlett (1805–1876)

Descant: David Condry

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Bidding prayerSisters and Brothers, at this Christmas time let usprepare ourselves again to hear, in word and song, thegood tidings of God’s redeeming love made known tous in the birth of the Holy Child of Bethlehem: andwith the angelic host let us give glory to God in thehighest.

But first let us pray for the needs of the whole world:for peace and goodwill among all nations; for unityand fellowship within the Church of Christ our Lordand especially in this town of Kingston and this ourDiocese of Southwark; for love and harmony in ourcommunities, our families and our homes; and for ablessing on all children, and on loved ones absentfrom home.

Let us also remember at this time those for whomChristmas brings little joy: the poor and homeless, thehungry and destitute, the sick and those who mourn;and all the victims of human tyranny, cruelty andoppression.

Lastly, let us remember with thanksgiving those whoshared our Christmases in years gone by and who nowrejoice with us in the greater light of God’s heavenlyKingdom. To their company, and to the fellowship ofall the citizens above, may God bring us all. Theseprayers let us gather up in the words that our SaviourChrist taught us:

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Choir

Adam lay y-bounden,Bounden in a bond;Four thousand winterThought he not too long.

And all was for an apple,An apple that he took,As clerkes finden [clerkes = clergy]Written in their book.

Ne had the apple taken beenThe apple taken been,Ne had never our LadyA-been heavene queen.

Blessed be the timeThat apple taken was;Therefore we moun singen [moun = must]Deo gratias!

Words: 15th centuryMusic: Philip Ledger (1937–2012)

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Isaiah announces the coming KingIsaiah 9: 2, 6–7read by a representative of the Metropolitan Police

The people who walked in darkness have seen a greatlight; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — onthem light has shined. For a child has been born forus, a son given to us; authority rests upon hisshoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually, and there shall beendless peace for the throne of David and hiskingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justiceand with righteousness from this time onwards and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

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Choir

What sweeter music can we bringThan a carol, for to singThe birth of this our heavenly King?Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,And give the honour to this dayThat sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winter’s mornSmile, like a field beset with corn?Or smell like a meadow newly shornThus on the sudden? Come and seeThe cause, why things thus fragrant be:

’Tis he is born. whose quickening birthGives life and lustre, public mirth,To heaven and the under-earth.

We see him come, and know him ours,Who, with his sunshine and his showers,Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come,And fit it is, we find a roomTo welcome him, to welcome him.

The nobler part of all the house here, is the heart.Which we will give him: and bequeathThis holly, and this ivy wreath.To do him honour. who’s our King,And Lord of all this revelling.

Words: Robert Herrick (1591–1674)Music: John Rutter (b.1945)

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The peace that Christ will bring is forshownIsaiah 11: 1–9read by a a representative ofKingston Churches Action on Homelessness

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and abranch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of theLord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom andunderstanding, the spirit of counsel and might, thespirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Hisdelight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide bywhat his ears hear; but with righteousness he shalljudge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek ofthe earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of hismouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill thewicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around hiswaist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall liedown with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatlingtogether, and a little child shall lead them. The cowand the bear shall graze, their young shall lie downtogether; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. Thenursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, andthe weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’sden. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holymountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge ofthe Lord as the waters cover the sea.

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ChoirThe angel Gabriel from heaven came,His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

“For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,All generations laud and honour thee,Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,“My soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was bornIn Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say“Most highly favoured lady,” Gloria!

Basque carol, based on ‘Angelus Ad Virginem’, 13th/14th Century,translated by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924)

Tube: Gabriel’s Message, arranged Malclm Archer (b.1952)

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The Archangel Gabriel comes to MaryLuke 1: 26–38read by a representative of the National Health Service

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by Godto a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virginengaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of thehouse of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favouredone! The Lord is with you.’But she was much perplexed by his words andpondered what sort of greeting this might be.The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for youhave found favour with God. And now, you willconceive in your womb and bear a son, and you willname him Jesus. He will be great, and will be calledthe Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give tohim the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign overthe house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom therewill be no end.’Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am avirgin?’The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come uponyou, and the power of the Most High will overshadowyou; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he willbe called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabethin her old age has also conceived a son; and this is thesixth month for her who was said to be barren. Fornothing will be impossible with God.’Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; letit be with me according to your word.’Then the angel departed from her.

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Jesus is bornLuke 2: 1–7read by a representative of the Street Pastors

In those days a decree went out from EmperorAugustus that all the world should be registered. Thiswas the first registration and was taken while Quiriniuswas governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to beregistered. Joseph also went from the town ofNazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David calledBethlehem, because he was descended from thehouse and family of David. He went to be registeredwith Mary, to whom he was engaged and who wasexpecting a child. While they were there, the timecame for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth toher firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth,and laid him in a manger, because there was no placefor them in the inn.

ChoirSoftly a light is stealing,Sweetly a maiden sings,Ever wakeful, ever wistful.Watching faithfully, thankfully, tenderlyHer King of kings.

My soul doth magnify the Lord:And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.Mary her song to JesusSoftly, serenely sings:‘I will love you, I will serve you,May my lullaby glorify, magnify My King of kings.’

Words & Music: Andrew Carter (b. 1939)with additional words from the Gospel of St Luke

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HymnPlease do not sing.

While shepherds watched their flocks by nightAll seated on the groundThe angel of the Lord came downAnd glory shone around.

“Fear not,” said he, (for mighty dreadHad seized their troubled mind);“Glad tidings of great joy I bringTo you and all mankind.”

“To you in David’s town this dayIs born of David's lineA Saviour who is Christ the LordAnd this shall be the sign.”

“The heavenly Babe you there shall findTo human view displayed,All meanly wrapped in swathing bandsAnd in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwithAppeared a shining throngOf angels praising God, who thusAddressed their joyful song:

“All glory be to God on highAnd on the earth be peace;Goodwill henceforth from heaven to menBegin and never cease!”

Words: Nahum Tate (1652–1715)Tune: ‘Winchester New’, in Thomas Este’s Psalter (1592)

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ChoirShepherds, called by angels,called by love and angels:No place for them but a stable.My Lord has come.

Sages, searching for stars,searching for love in heaven;No place for them but a stable.My Lord has come.

His love will hold me,his love will cherish me,love will cradle me.Lead me, lead me to see him,sages and shepherds and angels;No place for me but a stable.My Lord has come.

Words and Music: Will Todd (b.1970)

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The Shepherds visit the newborn KingLuke 2: 8–20read by a representative ofRussel Cooke Solicitors, a Kingston business

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields,keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angelof the Lord stood before them, and the glory of theLord shone around them, and they were terrified. Butthe angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I ambringing you good news of great joy for all the people:to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign foryou: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth andlying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with theangel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising Godand saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, andon earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now toBethlehem and see this thing that has taken place,which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they wentwith haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the childlying in the manger. When they saw this, they madeknown what had been told them about this child; andall who heard it were amazed at what the shepherdstold them. But Mary treasured all these words andpondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned,glorifying and praising God for all they had heard andseen, as it had been told them.

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ChoirO holy night! The stars are brightly shining,It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.Long lay the world in sin and error pining,Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!O night divine, O night when Christ was born;O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,Here come the wise men from the Orient land.The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

French Poem: Placide Cappeau (1808–1877)English version: John Sullivan Dwight (1813–1893)

Music: Adolphe Adam (1803–1856)

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ChoirFor unto us a child is born,unto us a son is given,and the government shall be upon His shoulder;and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,the mighty God, the Everlasting Father,the Prince of Peace.

Words: Isaiah 9: 6from ‘Messiah’ by George Frederick Handel (1685–1759)

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The Magi come from the EastMatthew 2: 1–2, 7–11read by a representative of Kingston Market

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born inBethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came toJerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has beenborn king of the Jews? For we observed his star at itsrising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When KingHerod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalemwith him; and calling together all the chief priests andscribes of the people, he inquired of them where theMessiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehemof Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by nomeans least among the rulers of Judah; for from youshall come a ruler who is to shepherd my peopleIsrael.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men andlearned from them the exact time when the star hadappeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when youhave found him, bring me word so that I may also goand pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king,they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the starthat they had seen at its rising, until it stopped overthe place where the child was. When they saw that thestar had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. Onentering the house, they saw the child with Mary hismother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered himgifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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Please stand and remain standing for the remainder of the service.

During the singing of this hymn, the churchwardens will come totake light from the Paschal candle (the special candle that was firstlit on Easter Sunday morning) and pass down through the church.As they come by, we As they come by, we – at arms length – areinvited to share the light with each other. Please do not sing thehymn are invited to share the light with each other.Please do not sing the hymn

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 ...

Sing, choirs of angels,Sing in exultation;Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!Glory to God,In the highest:O come, ...

Words: Latin 18th century, trans. Frederick Oakeley (1802–1880)Tune ‘Adeste Fideles’, by J F Wade (1711–1786)

Descant: David Willcocks (1919–2015)

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Collects

O God, who by the birth of your Son in the stable ofBethlehem made highest heaven stoop to lowestearth, give us grace so to ponder in our hearts thisgreat and mighty wonder that we may respond withgladness to your unspeakable gift, and be raised atlast from earth to heaven; through Jesus Christ ourLord.

All praise to you, Almighty God and heavenly King, whosent your Son into the world to take our nature uponhim and to be born of a pure Virgin. Grant that, as weare born again in him, so he may continually dwell inus, and reign on earth as he reigns in heaven, withyou and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

Blessing

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ChoirIn dulci jubiloLet us our homage showOur heart’s joy reclinethIn praesepioAnd like a bright star shinethMatris in gremioAlpha es et O.

O Jesu parvuleI yearn for thee alwayListen to my dittyO puer optimeHave pity on me, pityO princeps gloriae,Trahe me post te.

O patris caritasO nati lenitasDeeply were we stainedPer nostra criminaBut thou hast for us gainedCoelorum gaudiaO that we were there.

Ubi sunt gaudiaIf that they be not thereThere are angels singingNova canticaThere the bells are ringingIn regis curiaO that we were there.

Traditional Christmas carol. Old German melody,arranged by Robert Lucas Pearsall (1795–1856)

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HymnPlease do not sing.

Hark! the herald angels singGlory to the newborn 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 singGlory to the newborn King.

Christ by highest heaven adored,Christ the everlasting Lord,Late in time behold Him comeOffspring 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:

Hail the heaven-born Prince of peace!Hail the Son of Righteousness!Light and life to all He brings,Ris'n 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 singGlory to the newborn King.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788) & othersTune ‘Mendelssohn’, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

Descant: David Willcocks (1919–2015)

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Organ music at the end of the service

Chorale Prelude on ‘In Dulci Jubilo’, BWV729 – J S BachSonata in A major, Op 65, No 3 – Felix Mendelssohn

All Saints ChoirWe are very lucky at All Saints to have a cathedral-style choir.Choral music has been an integral part of the worship here forat least 150 years. We are always pleased to hear fromprospective choristers, both boys and girls aged 7/8 upwards.The wide-ranging repertoire encompasses composers fromPalestrina and Byrd to Vierne and Jonathan Dove. Our weeklyChoral Evensong is a very special feature in the local area.

The experience of being a chorister is incomparable. The abilityto master a lot of music in a short time is a transferable skill andan excellent training for any young person contemplating aChoral Scholarship. Many former choristers have gone on to singin the choirs of St John’s and King’s Colleges in Cambridge.

We rehearse on Friday evening during term time, the treblesfrom 6.15pm to 8.30pm and the adults from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.Service times on Sundays are 9.30am Sung Eucharist and 6.00amChoral Evensong, with an additional rehearsal from 11.15am tomidday. Choristers receive a modest fee plus regular free singingand theory tuition.

If interested please contact me at choir@allsaintskingston.co.ukto arrange an audition.

Older children and adults who sing alto, tenor or bass are alsowelcome to audition to join the choir as voluntary ‘Lay Clerks’.Adults are invited to become either full-time members of thechoir, or to be available as deputy singers.

David Condry, Director of Music (07784 780 941)

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There will be a retiring collection in aid of the work ofAll Saints Church.

During Christmas and Epiphany, as well as regular services at9.30 am and 6.00 pm on every Sunday, there are other eventstaking place at All Saints:

Tuesday 24th December – Carols Around the Crib .Choral Midnight Mass at 11.00 pm.

Christmas Day – Choral Eucharist at 9.30 am.Sunday 10th January – Epiphany Carol Service .

If you would like to speak to a priest, please call the Rector,Revd Jonathan Wilkes, 020 3132 8717, emailjonathan@allsaintskingston.co.uk.

Scan this code to make adonation via your phone

www.allsaintskingston.co.uk