ST.
AUGUSTINE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MANCHESTER
FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS
Held on Wednesday, 15th December, and Friday, 17th December, 1976
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ORGAN MUSIC: Pastorale from The Christmas Oratorio, by J. S. Bach.
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Guests are cordially invited to join in the items underlined.
All stand as the Head Master enters
| CHORALE: | Break forth, 0 beauteous
heav'nly light (Choir) |
All remain standing for the Bidding Prayer
| BIDDING PRAYER: read by Head of School. | All are invited to join in the Lord's Prayer |
All remain standing after the Lord's Prayer
| HYMN: Once in Royal David's City. | Words by Mrs. C. F. Alexander
(1818—1895) Tune, Irby, by H. J. Gauntlett (1805—1867) Orchestral arrangement by E. T. Morris |
| 1. (Choir) Once in royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a Mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed; Mary was that Mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.
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4. (All) For he is our childhood's pattern, Day by day like us He grew, He was little, weak and helpless, Tears and smiles like us he knew: And he feeleth for our sadness, And he shareth in our gladness. |
| 2. (All) 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.
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5. (All) And our eyes at last shall see him, Through his owm redeeming love, For that Child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above; And He leads his children on, To the place where He is gone. |
| 3. (All) And through all His wondrous childhood He would honour and obey, Love and watch the lowly Maiden In whose gentle arms He lay; Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as he. |
6. (All) 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; Where like stars his children crowned All in white shall wait around. |
After the Hymn, all sit
FIRST LESSON: Genesis 3, 8 — 15.
God announces in the garden of Eden that the seed, of woman shall bruise the serpent's head.
At the end of the Lesson, all answer: "Thanks be to God."
After the Lesson, guests remain seated.
| CAROL: Love came down at Christmas | Words by Christina Rossetti Music by Eric Smith |
| CAROL: Good King Wenceslas | Words by J. M. Neale (1818—1866) Tune "Tempus adest floridum" from "Pias Cantiones(1582) Orch. Arr. by E. T. Morris and A. P. Jessett |
| 1. (All) Good King Wenceslas looked out, On the feast of Stephen; When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even Brightly shone the moon that night Though the frost was cruel When a poor man came in sight, Gathering Winter Fuel. |
3. (Gentlemen) "Bring me flesh and bring me wine, Bring me pine logs hither: Thou and I will see him dine, When we bear them thither." (All) Page and monarch, forth they went, Forth they went together: Through the rude wind's wild lament And the bitter weather.
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| 2.(Gentlemen) "Hither page and stand by me, If thou know'st it telling, Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?" (Ladies) "Sire, he lives a good league hence, Underneath the mountain, Right against the forest fence, By St Agnes' fountain."
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4. (Ladies) "Sire, the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger; Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer." (Gentlemen) "Mark my footsteps, good my page; Tread thou in them boldly: Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly." |
| 5. (All)In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod Which the Saint had, printed. Therefore Christian men, be sure, Wealth or rank possessing, Ye who will now bless the poor, Shall yourselves find blessing. |
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SECOND LESSON: Isaiah 10 1-11 Christ's birth and Kingdom are foretold.
CHORUS And the Glory of the Lord from 'Messiah' by G. F. Handel (1685—1759)
| CAROL O Little Town of Bethlehem | Words
by Bishop Phillips Brooks (1835—1893) English Trad. arranged by R. Vaughan Williams. |
| 1.(All) O little Town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight
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3. (Choir) How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is giv'n So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of his heav'n. No ear may hear his coming; But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in. |
| 2. (All) O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth And praises sing God the King And peace to men on earth For Christ is born of Mary: And, gathered all above While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love |
4. (All) O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell: O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel |
THIRD LESSON Luke 26 - 35 So Angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.
ORCHESTRA
Pastorale from The Christmas Concerto A. Corelli (1653—1713)
Arranged by E. T. Morris
CAROL No Fanfare of Trumpets - Words and Music by Kenneth Cartwright.
FOURTH LESSON; Luke 2 1-16, Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
CAROL: Torches words from A Galician Carol Music by John Joubert (contemporary).
| CAROL: See amid the winter's snow. | Words by E Caswell (1814—1878) Tune by Sir John Goss (1800—1880) Arranged by David Willcocks |
| 1.(solo) See, amid the winter's snow, Born for us on earth below, See, the tender Lamb appears, Promised from eternal years. Chorus: (All) Hail, thou ever blessed morn, Hail, redemption's happy dawn Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ is born in Bethlehem,
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4. (Choir) "As we watched at dead of night, Loa, we saw a wondrous light; Angels, singing peace on earth, Told us of the Savior's birth." Chorus: (All) |
| 2.(All) Loa, within a manger lies He who built the starry skies; He, who thronged in height sublime Sits amid the cherubim. Chorus: (All)
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5. (All) Sacred Infant, all divine, What a tender love was thin. Thus to come from highest bliss, Down to such a world as this Chorus: (All) |
| 3.(Choir) Say, ye holy shepherds, say, What your joyful news today? Wherefore have ye left your sheep On the lonely mountain steep? Chorus: (All) |
6.(All) Teach, oh teach, us, Holy Child, By thy face so meek and mild; Teach us to resemble thee, In thy sweet humility. Chorus: (All) |
FIFTH LESSON: Matthew 2 1-11 The Wise Men are led by a star to Jesus
CAROL: Shepherd's Pipe Carol. Words and music by John Rupture
| HYMN: While Shepherds watched their flocks. | Words by Melvin Tate (1652—1715) Music Este's Psalter, 1592 Orch. arr., by E.T.Morris and A.P.Jessett.
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| 1. While shepherds watched their flocks All seated on the ground, The angel of the Lord came down, And glory shone around.
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4. "The heavenly Babe you there shall find To human view displayed, All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, And in a manger laid." |
| 2. "Fear not" said he (for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind); "Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind.
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5. Thus spake the Seraph; and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels praising God, who thus Addressed their joyful song: |
| 3. "To you in David's town this day Is born of David's line A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; And this shall be the sign
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6. "All glory be to God on high, And on the earth be peace; Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men Begin and never cease." |
SIXTH LESSON: John 1, 1—14 St. John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
CAROL: Ding Dong Merrily on
High.
Words by G. R. Woodward
16th Century French tune harmonized by Charles Wood.
| HYMN: 0 come, all ye faithful. | 18th century tune arranged by David
Willcocks. Translated from the Latin by F. Oakeley and others, Orchestral arrangement by E. T. Morris. |
| 1. 0 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
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4. Lo, star—led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring, Offer him incense, gold and myrrh; We to the Christ Child Bring our hearts’ oblations: O come, let us adore him, . . . |
| 2. God of God, Light of Light, Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, Begotten, not created: O come, let us adore him, . . . |
5. Child, for us sinners Poor and in the manger, Fain we embrace thee, with awe and love; Who would not love thee, Loving us so dearly ? O come, let us adore him, . . .
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| 3. See how the shepherds, Summoned to his cradle, Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear; We too will thither Bend our joyful footsteps: O come, let us adore him, . . .
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6. Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing all ye citizens of heav’n above; Glory to God In the highest: O come, let us adore him, . . . |
| 7. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, Born that happy morning, Jesu, to thee be glory giv’n; Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing: O come, let us adore him, |
All remain standing.
PRAYER AND BLESSING
| HYMN: Hark, the herald angels sing. | Tune from a chorus by F, Mendelssohn
(1809—1847) Arranged by David Willcocks. Words by C. Wesley and others. Orchestral arrangement by A. P. Jessett.
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| 1. Hark, the herald angels sing Glory to the new—born King; Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled: Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With th’angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem, Hark, the herald angels sing Glory to the new—born King.
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2. Christ, by highest heav’n adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold him come Off—spring of a virgin’s womb; Veiled in flesh the God—head see, Hail th’incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark, the herald angels sing Glory to the new—born King. |
| 3. Hail the heav’n born Prince of Peace! hail the Sun of righteousness! Light and life -to all he brings, Risen 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 sing Glory to the new—born King. |
ORGAN MUSIC: Chorale Prelude ‘In Dulci Jubile’ by J. S. Bach (1685—1750)
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