Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sunday after Christmas - 30 December 2012

Mattins
  • Opening Hymn 148 “See amid the winter’s snow” 
  • Offertory Hymn 143 “Angels from the realms of glory” 
  • Closing Hymn 138 “Hark! The herald angels sing”
     
  • Visit St Barnabas website here »
(no choir today)

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve / Christmas Day 2012

Christmas Eve 2012 (10:30 pm)
  • Organ Prelude: “The Holy Boy” – John Ireland 
  • Introit: Fanfare – Martin Shaw 
  • Processional Hymn “O come, all ye faithful”
  • Psalm 96 (Tone VIII.2)
  • Gospel Alleluia
Choir: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
All: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Cantor: Today shall ye know that the Lord will come to deliver you: and at sunrise shall ye behold his glory: On the morrow the iniquity of the earth shall be blotted out and the Saviour of the world shall reign over us.
All: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
  • Anthem: The Snow Lay on the Ground – Geoffrey Shaw 
  • Offertory Hymn: “Once in royal David’s city” 
  • Carols During Communion: 
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Let folly praise that fancy loves
  • Final Hymn “Silent Night”
  • Organ Postlude: “In dulci jubilo” - J.S. Bach
Christmas Day 2012
  • Opening Carol: 146 “Twas in the moon of wintertime” 
  • Carol 154 “Joy to the world” 
  • Offertory Carol: 139 “The First Nowell” 
  • Closing Carol: 153 “Good Christians all, rejoice”
  • Visit St Barnabas website here »

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Advent 4 - Sunday 23 December 2012

  • Organ Prelude: Rorate coeli (Drop down, ye heavens) – Jeanne Demessieux 
  • Opening Hymn 116 “Your kingdom come on bended knee” 
  • Psalm 89: 1-4, 19-26 
  • Gospel Acclamation
    Choir: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    Cantor: The LORD is near to all who call on him / to all who call on him in truth: my mouth will speak in praise of the LORD / let every creature praise his holy name for e-ver and e-ver.
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
  • Anthem: Mary’s Magnificat – Andrew Carter 
  • Offertory Hymn
    Sing of Mary, pure and lowly, Virgin mother undefiled,
    Sing of God's own Son most holy, Who became her little child.
    Fairest child of fairest mother, God the Lord who came to earth,
    Word made flesh, our very brother, Takes our nature by his birth.

    Sing of Jesus, son of Mary, In the home at Nazareth.
    Toil and labour cannot weary Love enduring unto death.
    Constant was the love he gave her, Though he went forth from her side, Forth to preach, and heal, and suffer, Till on Calvary he died.

    Glory be to God the Father; Glory be to God the Son;
    Glory be to God the Spirit; Glory to the Three in One.
    From the heart of blessed Mary, From all saints the song ascends,
    And the Church the strain re-echoes Unto earth's remotest ends.
  • Communion Hymn 95 “O come, divine Messiah”
  • Communion Motet: “Adam lay ybounden” – Howard Skempton
    Adam lay ybounden,
    Bounden in a bond;
    Four thousand winter
    Thought he not too long.
    And all was for an apple,
    An apple that he took,
    As clerkës finden written
    In their book.

    Nor had one apple taken been,
    The apple taken been,
    Then had never Our Lady
    A-been heaven's queen.
    Blessed be the time
    That apple taken was.
    Therefore we may singen
    Deo gratias!
  • Final Hymn 89 “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
  • Visit St Barnabas website here »

    There is no organ postlude this morning. Please spend a moment or two in quiet contemplation in anticipation of Christ’s birth
  • Music Notes:
    “Adam lay ybounden” is a macaronic (meaning it has a mix of Latin and English words) poem by an unknown author, dating from around 1400. Several composers have set this text to music, one of the more recent being Englishman Howard Skempton (born 1947). His is a simple setting of this medieval Advent carol which has great impact in its originality; the style is controlled, almost austere, and the effect is hypnotic. It is a perhaps unsettling but poignant piece of music.
    Here is a very loose interpretation of the old English:

    Adam's (i.e.man's) sin enchained him for four thousand years (the accepted time from creation to Jesus' birth.) He did not think it was too long to wait. And all this was because of the apple Adam took, as scribes have recorded in Holy Scripture.

    If the apple had never been taken, then Mary would never have become Heaven's Queen. Blessed then be that apple's theft (because it ultimately brought salvation.) Therefore we must sing, thanks be to God!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Advent 3 - Sunday 16 December 2012

  • Prelude: Advent Music for Flute and Organ – Robert Powell 
  • Opening Hymn 98 “Hark the glad sound!” 
  • Gospel Acclamation
    Choir: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    Cantor: You who sit enthroned between the cherubim shine forth: Awaken your might / come and save us.
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia 
  • Solo: (Ed Wiens, tenor) 
  • Offertory Hymn 111 “Harold! Sound the note of judgement” 
  • Communion Hymn 96 “Creator of the stars of night” 
  • Communion Motet: Adam lay ybounden – Howard Skempton
    Adam lay ybounden,
    Bounden in a bond;
    Four thousand winter
    Thought he not too long.
    And all was for an apple,
    An apple that he took,
    As clerkës finden written
    In their book.

    Nor had one apple taken been,
    The apple taken been,
    Then had never Our Lady
    A-been heaven's queen.
    Blessed be the time
    That apple taken was.
    Therefore we may singen
    Deo gratias!
  • Final Hymn 93 “You servants of the Lord” 
  • Postlude: Advent Music for Flute and Organ – Robert

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Advent 2 - Sunday 9 December 2012

  • Organ Prelude: “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming” – Johannes Brahms 
  • Opening Hymn 88 “Come, thou long-expected Jesus” 
  • Psalm 
  • Gospel Acclamation
    Choir: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
    Cantor: Behold, our Lord will come with power: and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
    All: Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
  • Offertory Hymn 106 “There’s a voice in the wilderness” 
  • During Communion: The Advent Prose 
  • Communion Motet: Lo, how a rose – Michael Praetorius
    The text of this motet can be found, in a slightly different translation, at Hymn 117. 
  • Final Hymn 103 “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry” 
  • Organ Postlude: “Deck thyself, my soul with gladness” – Johannes Brahms