CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
WITH KING’S VOICES

KING’S COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE
WITH THE FINE & COUNTRY FOUNDATION

Helping combat the causes of homelessness

Conductor - Ralph Woodward
Organist - Roland Robertson

 


 

WELCOME
by the Dean of King’s College Chapel,
The Reverend Dr Stephen Cherry

 


 

CHOIR:
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA
(C.1525–94): MATIN RESPONSORY
(FROM THE EAST END)

HYMN: O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL

Choir Only:
O come, o come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

All:
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save, and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! etc.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! etc.

O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! etc.

O come, o come, thou Lord of Might, who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! etc.

 


 

LESSON 1
A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EMMAUS CAMBRIDGE

ISAIAH 9.2, 6–7
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Thanks be to God.

 


 

CHOIR:
JUDITH WEIR (B.1954): DROP DOWN,
YE HEAVENS, FROM ABOVE

BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913–76): HYMN TO THE VIRGIN

HYMN: IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

All:
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 blessed 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 send
back the song
Which now the angels sing.

 


 

ORGAN SOLO:
SIGFRID KARG-ELERT (1877–1933):
NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

CHOIR:
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872–1958):
THE BLESSED SON OF GOD

HYMN: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

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.

O morning stars,
together proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to 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 wond’ring love.

Choir Only:
How silently, how silently
the wondrous gift is given!
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.

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.

 


 

LESSON 2
A MEMBER OF KING’S VOICES

LUKE 2.1–7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Thanks be to God.

CHOIR:
HAROLD DARKE (1888–1976): IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

ANNABEL ROONEY (B.1973): THERE DID AN ANGEL
SING (WORLD PREMIERE)

 


 

LESSON 3
THE PROVOST OF KING’S COLLEGE

MATTHEW 2.1–12

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Thanks be to God.

 


 

HYMN: GOOD KING WENCESLAS

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.

[Men] “Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou know’st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
[Women] “Sire, he lives a good
league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”

[Men] “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.

[Women] “Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how;
I can go no longer.”

[Men] “Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”

[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 now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.

 



CHOIR:
TRADITIONAL, ARR. CHARLES WOOD
(1866–1926): DING, DONG MERRILY ON HIGH

HYMN: O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

All:
O 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!

God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten, not created:
O come, etc.

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, etc.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;
Glory to God
In the highest:
O come, etc.

FINAL REMARKS
(A REPRESENTATIVE OF FINE & COUNTRY)

ORGAN IMPROVISATION

CHOIR: TRADITIONAL, ARR. SIR DAVID WILLCOCKS
(1919–2015): AWAY IN A MANGER (FROM THE EAST END)

Registered charity number: 1160989