Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 a.m. sung by the St. John’s Youth and Adult Choir, sermon by the Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.
Worship at Home:
Click here: Service Bulletin – Sermon Text
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Service Music:
Voluntary Savior of the nations, come Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Advent Responsory Michael McCarthy (b. 1966)
Text: Matin responsory for Advent I
I look from afar: and lo, I see the Power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go ye out to meet him and say: Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel? High and low, rich and poor, one with another, Go ye out to meet him and say: Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep, tell us, art thou he that should come? Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come to reign over thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Processional Hymn 56 (st. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8) O come, O come, Emmanuel Veni, veni Emmanuel
Kyrie Eleison from Litany of the Saints adapt. Richard Proulx (1937-2010)
Sequence Hymn 597 O day of peace that dimly shines Jeruslaem
Offertory Anthem
A hymn to the Virgin Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Of one who is so fair and bright
Velut maris stella, (Like a star of the sea)
Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella: (Both mother and maiden)
I cry to thee, thou see to me,
Lady, pray thy Son for me,
Tam pia, (so pure)
That I may come to thee.
Maria! (Mary) All this world was forlorn,
Eva peccatrice, (because of Eve, a sinner)
Till our Lord was yborn,
De te genetrice. (through you, his mother)
With ave it went away,
Darkest night, and comes the day
Salutis; (of salvation)
The well springeth out of thee.
Virtutis. (of virtue)
Lady, flower of everything,
Rosa sine spina, (Rose without thorn)
Thou bare Jesu, heaven’s king,
Gratia divina: (by divine grace)
Of all thou bearest the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise
Electa: (chosen)
Maid mild, mother
es effecta. (you are made)
A Hymn to the Virgin is the earliest surviving piece of church music written by Britten. It is an astonishing work of subtlety and maturity written when Britten was only 16 years old. There is a sense of innocence and endearing simplicity that adds mystery to the spiritual drama. The choir is split into two groups who respond antiphonally, each taking off from where the other finished. The simple harmony is clear and bright – moving effortlessly. The use of the macaronic form is interesting with choir I singing in English and choir II in Latin. The choice of medieval text helps add to the sense of restrained timelessness which A Hymn to the Virgin exhibits.
Sanctus from Missa Emmanuel Richard Proulx
Fraction Anthem Agnus Dei from Missa Emmanuel Richard Proulx
Communion Anthem There Is No Rose Philip Stopford (b. 1977)
Text: Anonymous, 14th century
There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu;
Alleluia.
For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res miranda. (Thing of wonder)
By that rose we may well see
There be one God in persons three,
Pares forma. (Equal in form)
The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis deo: (Glory to God in the highest)
Gaudeamus. (Let us rejoice)
Leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth;
Transeamus. (Let us follow)
Philip Stopford is a contemporary English composer who began his career as a youth chorister at Westminster Abbey, singing under Simon Preston and Martin Neary. His music is equally popular with American choirs as it is with English ones, due to his accessible yet thought-provoking compositional style. Our Youth Choir (along with the choir of St. James’s Church and the Trinity College Chapel Singers) premiered Psalm 150 by Philip at the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival in October, 2017.
Hymn in Procession 616 Hail to the Lord’s anointed Es flog kleins Waldvögelein
Voluntary Fantasy on Veni Emmanuel Wilbur Held (1914-2015)