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Carols sung by the Choir

Once, as I remember

The words of this carol were written by the English Anglican priest George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934). The lyrics are set to a traditional Italian carol melody. The music arrangement was written by the Irish composer and teacher Charles Wood (1866-1926) whose students included Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells.

The Word made flesh

The text was written by the English playwright and poet Benjamin Jonson (1573-1637). Born in London, he was educated at Westminster School and at St John’s College, Cambridge. The music was written by the Pontefract-born composer Philip Wilby (b. 1949) who was educated at Leeds Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford. As well as choral music, Philip Wilby has written compositions for piano, organ, chamber ensemble, and for brass band.

I saw three ships

Traditional English lyrics set to music by the English choral and orchestral conductor Reginald Jacques (1894-1969). From 1932 to 1960 he was the conductor of the Bach Choir and in 1936 he founded the Jacques String Orchestra.

I sing of a maiden

The 15th century words celebrate the Annunciation to Mary and the birth of Jesus. The music was written by the English composer Richard James Shephard (1949-2021). As well as his prolific musical career, Richard Shephard also had a distinguished career in education and was Headmaster of York Minster School from 1985 to 2004.

Il est né, le divin enfant

The music arrangement of this traditional French carol was written by the English composer, conductor, singer, arranger and producer Ben Parry (b. 1965). He is Director of the professional choir ‘London Voices’ and has worked with many major choirs and orchestras in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Carol of the Bells

This popular carol is based on a Ukrainian folk chant called ‘Shchedryk’. It was written in 1904 by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (1877-1921) and it received its premiere in 1916. The carol lyrics that the choir will sing this evening were written in 1947 by Minna Louise Hohmann.

O holy night!

The original words of the carol were taken from a French poem written by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877). The English translation is by the American Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight (1813-1893). The French composer Adolphe Charles Adam (1803-1856) set the poem to music in 1847. The music arrangement was written by the English organist and composer John Ebenezer West (1863-1929).

Our worship begins at the sound of the bell, please stand as the choir and the sacred ministers enter.

Carol

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.

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 our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love,
for that child so dear and gentle
is our Lord in heav’n above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

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 crowned
all in white shall wait around.

Words: Cecil F. Alexander (1818-1895)
Music: Henry T. Gauntlett (1805-1876)
Verses 1-3 harmonised by Arthur H. Mann (1850-1929)
Verse 4 arranged by David V. Willcocks (1919-2015)

Please remain standing.

Welcome

We have come together as the family of God, in our Father’s presence, to celebrate the great festival of Christmas. In this service we hear and receive the good news of the birth of Christ and we offer to God our thanksgiving in the joyful singing of carols.

As we gather together in the name of Christ, we pray for the world he came to save:

for the Church, that it may be enabled in our generation to surrender anew to God’s holy Wisdom, and bear the good news of God’s love to a needy world;

for the world, which is already Christ’s, that all its peoples may recognise their responsibility for its future, and may be inspired by the message of Christmas to work together for the establishment of justice, freedom and peace everywhere;

for all in special need, the sick, the anxious, the lonely, the fearful and the bereaved, that the peace and light of the Christ-child may bring hope and healing to all who sit in darkness.

We commend all whom we love, or who have asked for our prayers, to the unfailing mercy of our heavenly Father, and say together, as Christ himself taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Please sit.

Carol

Once, as I remember; at the time of Yule,
after mid-December. when it bloweth cool,
I o’er heard a Mother was a-singing ‘Sweet Jesu,
La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, Lullay la-lu.’

Near as man was able, on my knee fell I,
in the Beth’lem stable where the babe did lie,
and the Virgin mother was a-singing ‘Sweet Jesu,
La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, Lullay la-lu.’

Ox and ass around him, courtier-like did stand:
fair white linen bound him, spun by Mary’s hand,
while the Virgin mother was a-singing ‘Sweet Jesu,
La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, Lullay la-lu.’

Ever among and o’er us angel quire ’gan sing
antiphons in chorus to the new-born King,
then the Virgin mother fell a-singing ‘Sweet Jesu,
La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, La-lullay-lu, Lullay la-lu.’

Words: George R. Woodward (1848-1934)
Music: 17^th century Italian carol
arranged by Charles Wood (1866-1926)

Please remain seated.

First Lesson: The story of our first disobedience to God’s command

Genesis 3.8—14

Read by Melvin Herring
Churchwarden, St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk

Please stand.

Hymn

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.

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.

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.

Words: Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Music: English traditional melody
Verses 1 & 2 arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Verse 3 arranged by Thomas H. W. Armstrong (1898-1994)

Please sit.

Second Lesson: The prophecy of the Messiah’s kingdom of peace

Isaiah 11.1—9

Read by Councillor Dan Cohen
Lord Mayor of Leeds

Please remain seated.

Carol

I sing the birth was born tonight,
the author both of life and light;
the angels so did sound it,
and, like the ravished shepherds said,
who saw the light, and were afraid,
yet searched, and true they found it.

The Son of God, the eternal King,
that did us all salvation bring,
and freed our soul from danger,
he whom the whole world could not take,
the Word, which heaven and earth did make,
was now laid in a manger.

The Father’s wisdom willed it so,
the son’s obedience knew no ‘No’;
both wills were in one stature,
and, as that wisdom had decreed,
the Word was now made flesh indeed,
and took on him our nature.

What comfort by him we do win,
who made himself the price of sin,
to make us heirs of glory!
To see this babe, all innocence,
a martyr born in our defence,
can man forget the story?

Words: Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637)
Music: Philip Wilby (b. 1949)

Please stand.

Hymn

It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
‘peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
from heav’n’s all-gracious King!’
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
with peaceful wings unfurled;
and still their heav’nly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains
they bend on hov’ring wing;
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife,
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel-strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and man, at war with man, hears not
the love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
and hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet-bards foretold,
when with the ever-circling years
comes round the age of gold;
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world give back the song
which now the angels sing.

Words: Edmund H. Sears (1810-1876)
Music: English traditional melody
adapted by Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-1900)

Please sit.

Third Lesson: The prophecy of the Messiah’s birth

Isaiah 9.2, 6—7

Read by Maya Harrison
Principal Keeper, Temple Newsam House

Please remain seated.

Carol

I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
I saw three ships come sailing in,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Our Saviour Christ and his Lady,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
Our Saviour Christ and his Lady,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
Pray, whither sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas Day in the morning.

O, they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain, amain: greatly
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
Then let us all rejoice amain,
On Christmas Day in the morning!

Words: English traditional text
Music: Reginald Jacques (1894-1969)

Please stand.

Hymn

In the bleak mid-winter
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
in the bleak mid-winter
long ago.

Our God, heav’n cannot hold him
nor earth sustain;
heav’n and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign:
in the bleak mid-winter
a stable-place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.

What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
if I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him,
give my heart.

Words: Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1894)
Music: Gustav T. Holst (1874-1934)

Please sit.

Fourth Lesson: The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem

Micah 5.2—4

Read by Jean Bradley
Silver Lining Luncheon Club

Please remain seated.

Carol

I sing of a maiden that is makeles,
King of all kinges to her sone she ches.

He came all so stille, there his mother was,
as dew in Aprille that falleth on the grass.

He came all so stille to his mother’s bower,
as dew in Aprille that falleth on the flower.

He came all so stille, there his mother lay,
as dew in Aprille that falleth on the spray.

Mother and maiden was never none but she;
well may such a lady Goddes mother be.

makele: matchless, inges: kings, one: son, hes: chose,
stille: still, prille: April, oddes: God’s

Words: 15^th century
Music: Richard J. Shephard (1949-2021)

Please remain seated.

Fifth Lesson: The annunciation to Mary

Luke 1.26—38

Read by Lynne Pickersgill
Licensed Lay Minister

Please remain seated.