Holy Eucharist Rite II at 11:00 p.m. with Choral Prelude at 10:30 p.m. sung by the St. John’s Adult Choir and string quintet, sermon by the Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.

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Choral Prelude at 10:30 p.m.
TBD, violin; Mary Scripko, viola; Kathy Schiano, cello; Kevin Huhn, bass

String Quartet    Brandenburg concerto No. 3 in G Major BWV 1048     Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
I. Allegro moderato

Choir    While all things were in quiet silence    Ned Rorem (b. 1923)
Text: from Antiphon of Matins, Christmas I

While all things were in quiet silence,
And that night was in the midst of her swift course,
Thine Almighty Word, O Lord,
leaped down out of thy royal throne. Alleluia.

Choir    Ding, dong, merrily on high    arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav’n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing
Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “Io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen
Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers,
May you beautifully rhyme
Your eve’time song, ye singers
Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Choir     Rocking     Czech Carol, arr. Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015)
Words translated Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)

Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you;
See the fur to keep you warm,
Snugly round your tiny form.

Mary’s little baby, sleep, sweetly sleep,
Sleep in comfort, slumber deep;
We will rock you, rock you, rock you
We will rock you, rock you, rock you;
We will serve you all we can,
Darling, darling little man.

String Quartet    Brandenburg concerto No. 3 in G Major BWV 1048     Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
II. Allegro

Processional Hymn 83    O come, all ye faithful    Adeste fideles, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Gloria S280     Robert Powell (b.1932)

Sequence Hymn 115    What child is this   Greensleeves

Offertory Anthem    What sweeter music    John Rutter (b. 1945)
Words: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honor to this day,
That sees December turned to May.
That sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winter’s morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like a meadow newly-shorn,
Thus, on the sudden? Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:
‘Tis He is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and luster, 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.
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome him. To welcome him.
The nobler part Of all the house here,
is the heart.

Which we will give him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do him honour, who’s our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.

What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a carol for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?

Sanctus  S130    Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Fraction anthem S164    Jesus, lamb of God     Franz Schubert

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)

Communion Hymn 101    Away in a manger   Cradle Song

Postcommunion Hymn 111    Silent night    Stille nacht, st. 3 arr. Wolfgang Lindner

Closing Hymn 87    Hark the herald angels sing    Mendelssohn, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Voluntary    In dulci jubilo (In quiet joy)    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)