A F e s t i va l

of Nine
Lessons
& Ca ro l s

Chr istmas Eve, 2021

3.00 pm
King’s College Chapel
Cambr idge
 DEAN
The Revd Dr Stephen Cherry

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Daniel Hyde

CHAPLAIN
The Revd Dr Mary Kells

CHAPEL MANAGER
Dr Tim Atkin

ORGAN SCHOLAR
Paul Greally
WELCOME
for joining us for this great occasion: an act

T
H A N K YOU
of worship both for us present in Chapel, as well as for
the millions joining us by radio around the world.
To help those who are listening to the broadcast enjoy the
experience, please avoid making any distracting noises, and
double-check that your mobile phone is switched off. Please
silence any other noise-making devices. Personal belongings,
including bags and walking-sticks, should be placed securely on
the floor.
The service will continue until 4.40 pm. Please do not leave
before then unless you feel unwell; our stewards will ensure you
find the help you need.
Should we have to evacuate the Chapel, the service will stop.
Please listen for directions and follow them quietly and calmly.
I hope that you will want to join us for other choral services in
the future. There will be a Choral Eucharist with carols
tomorrow at 11.00 am; daily choral services will resume on
Tuesday 18 January, 2022.
Finally, I wish you a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and
healthy new year.

The Revd Dr Stephen Cherry Dean

O RGA N VO L U N TA R I E S
§ The congregation is silent during the organ voluntaries.
§ The Director of Music plays:

Prelude and Fugue in G B W V 541 Johann Sebastian Bach

La Nativité du Seigneur Olivier Messiaen
i La vierge et l’Enfant
ii Les bergers
Three Chorals César Franck
i Choral in E F W V 38
La Nativité du Seigneur Olivier Messiaen
v Les enfants de Dieu

§ The organ scholar plays:

Prelude and Fugue in C B W V 545 Johann Sebastian Bach

§ All stand for the Præposital Procession.

Der Tag, der ist so Johann Sebastian Bach

freudenreich B W V 605
Prelude and Fugue in D B W V 532 Johann Sebastian Bach
In dulci jubilo B uxW V 197 Dietrich Buxtehude
 ORDER OF S E RV I C E

HYMN
§ The service begins at 3:02 pm, after the three o’clock news bulletin.
All stand when advised by the Director of Music.
The Choir alone sings verses 1–3.

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.

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 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.

§ All sing.

F O R H E 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.
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.
Cecil Frances Alexander ‘Irby’, Henry Gauntlett
harm. Arthur Henry Mann
verse 6 arr. David Willcocks

§ All remain standing.

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B I D D I N G P R AY E R
Dean B E L OV E D in Christ, be it this Christmas Eve our care
and delight to prepare ourselves to hear
again the message of the angels;
in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see
this thing which is come to pass,
and the Babe lying in a manger.
Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the
loving purposes of God from the first days of our
disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought
us by this Holy Child;
and let us make this Chapel,
dedicated to Mary, his most blessed Mother,
glad with our carols of praise:
But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world;
for peace and health over all the earth;
for unity and goodwill within the Church he
came to build,
and especially in the dominions of our sovereign
lady Queen Elizabeth,
within this University and City of Cambridge,
and in the two royal and religious Foundations of
King Henry VI, here and at Eton:
And because this of all things would rejoice his heart,
let us at this time remember in his name the
poor and the helpless,
the cold and the hungry,
the abused, the exploited and the oppressed;
 the sick in body and in mind and them that mourn;
the isolated, the lonely and the unloved;
the elderly and the little children;
all who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not,
or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.
Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice
with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light,
that multitude which no man can number,
whose hope was in the Word made flesh,
and with whom, in this Lord Jesus,
we for evermore are one.
These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to
the throne of heaven,
in the words which Christ himself hath taught us:
O U R F AT H E R
All O U R F AT H E R , which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that 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.

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 Dean T H E A L M I G H T Y G O D bless us with his grace:
Christ give us the joys of everlasting life:
and unto the fellowship of the citizens above may
the King of Angels bring us all.
All Amen.

§ All sit.
C A RO L
In dulci jubilo In sweet rejoicing
Let us our homage shew;
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In præsepio; In the manger;
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio; In the mother’s lap;
Alpha es et O! You are the Alpha and Omega!
O Jesu parvule, O tiny Jesus,
I yearn for thee alway!
Listen to my ditty,
O puer optime! O best of boys!
Have pity on me, pity,
O Princeps gloriæ! O Prince of glory!
Trahe me post te! Draw me to you!
O Patris caritas! O Father’s caring!
O Nati lenitas! O new-born’s mildness!
Deeply were we stained
Per nostra crimina; By our crimes
But thou hast for us gained
Cœlorum gaudia. Heavenly joy.
O that we were there!

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Ubi sunt gaudia, Where are the joys
If that they be not there?
There are angels singing
Nova cantica, New songs,
There the bells are ringing
In Regis curia: At the King’s court:
O that we were there!
anon., German, 16th century Traditional German
trans. Robert Lucas de Pearsall arr. Robert Lucas de Pearsall
& Daniel Hyde
Unpublished
F I R ST L E S S O N
§ A Chorister reads the lesson.

God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and
that his seed will bruise the serpent’s head.
the voice of the Lord God walking

A
ND THEY HEARD
in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his
wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto
Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;
and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast
naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee
that thou shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God
said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the
woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast
done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast
of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat
all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

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And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I
commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days
of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee;
and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out
of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou
return.
Thanks be to God.
Genesis 3.8–15, 17–19
C A RO L
T H I S is the truth sent from above,
The truth of God, the God of love;
Therefore don’t turn me from your door,
But hearken all both rich and poor.
The first thing which I do relate
Is that God did man create;
The next thing which to you I’ll tell,
Woman was made with man to dwell.
Thus we were heirs to endless woes,
Till God the Lord did interpose;
And so a promise soon did run
That he would redeem us by his Son.
And at that season of the year
Our blest Redeemer did appear;
He here did live, and here did preach,
And many thousands he did teach.
Thus he in love to us behaved,
To show us how we must be saved;
And if you want to know the way,
Be pleased to hear what he did say.
English Traditional ‘Herefordshire Carol’
arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams & Christopher Robinson
Novello & Co. Ltd

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SECOND LESSON
§ A Choral Scholar reads the lesson.

God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed.
of the Lord called unto Abraham out

A
ND THE ANGEL
of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I
sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in
blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy
seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon
the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Thanks be to God.
Genesis 22.15–18
C A RO L
T H E H O L LY and the ivy when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood the holly bears the crown,
O the rising of the sun, the running of the deer,
the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn,
O the rising of the sun &c.
The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all,
O the rising of the sun &c.
The holly and the ivy when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood the holly bears the crown,
O the rising of the sun &c.
English Traditional French Traditional
arr. June Nixon
Encore Publications

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THIRD LESSON
§ A representative of Eton College reads the lesson.

The prophet foretells the coming of the Saviour.

that walked in darkness have seen a great

T
HE PEOPLE
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.
Isaiah 9.2, 6–7
C A RO L
O N C H R I ST M A S night all Christians sing,
To hear the news the angels bring;
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.
Then why should men on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
When from our sin He set us free,
All for to gain our liberty?
When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All for to see the new-born King.
All out of darkness we have light,
Which made the angels sing this night:
‘Glory to God and peace to men,
Now and for evermore, Amen.’
English Traditional ‘Sussex Carol’
arr. David Willcocks
Oxford University Press

§ All stand.

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HYMN
§ All sing the hymn.

O L I T T L E TOW N 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.
 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.
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!
Phillips Brooks English Traditional
arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams
descant, Thomas Armstrong
Oxford University Press

§ All sit.

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F O U RT H L E S S O N
§ A Fellow reads the lesson.

The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.

shall come forth a rod out of the stem of

A
ND THERE
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make
him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. With
righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity
for the meek of the earth.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall
lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow
and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child
shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put
his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Thanks be to God.
Isaiah 11.1–4a, 6–9
C A RO L
I N T H E ST I L L N E S S of a church Where candles glow,
In the softness of a fall Of fresh white snow,
In the brightness of the stars That shine this night,
In the calmness of a pool Of healing light,
In the clearness of a choir That softly sings,
In the oneness of a hush Of angels’ wings,
In the mildness of a night By stable bare,
In the quietness of a lull Near cradle fair,
There’s a patience as we wait For a new morn,
And the presence of a child Soon to be born.
Katrina Shepherd Sally Beamish
Gonzaga Music

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C A RO L
T H E A N G E L Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
‘All hail’, said he, ‘thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!
‘For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold.
Most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
‘To me be as it pleaseth God,’ she said,
‘My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.’
Most highly favoured lady. Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout all the world will ever say:
‘Most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!
Sabine Baring-Gould Basque Carol
arr. David Willcocks
Oxford University Press
FIFTH LESSON
§ A member of staff reads the lesson.

The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.

month the angel Gabriel was sent

A
ND IN THE SIXTH
from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the
angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly
favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast
in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the
angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour
with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall
reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this
be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said
unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power
of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto
me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Thanks be to God.
Luke 1.26–35, 38

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C A RO L
Salvator mundi, Domine. Saviour of the world, Lord.
Father of heaven, blessed thou be.
Thou greetest a maiden with an ‘Ave!’ ‘Hail!’
Alleluia, Deo Patri sit gloria. Glory be to God the Father.
Adesto nunc propitius. Favourably help us now.
Thou sendest thy Son, sweet Jesus,
Man to become, for love of us,
Alleluia, Deo Patri sit gloria.
Te reformator sensuum. You, reformer of the senses.
Little and mickle, all and some,
Make ye merry for him that is come,
Alleluia, Deo Patri sit gloria.
Gloria tibi, Domine! Glory be to you, O Lord!
Joy and bliss among us be,
For at this time born is he,
Alleluia, Deo Patri sit gloria.
anon., 15th century Imogen Holst
Latin from Compline Hymn Oxford University Press
C A RO L
§ The College commissioned this carol for today’s service.

T H E R E 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. A marvellous thing!
By that rose we may well see
that he is God in persons three.
Pares forma. Equal in form.
The angels sungen the sheperds to
‘Gloria in excelsis Deo.’ ‘Glory be to God on high’.
Gaudeamus. Let us rejoice!
Leave we all this wordly mirth
and follow this joyful birth.
Transeamus. Let us go!
There is no rose.
Alleluia.
anon., 15th century Cecilia McDowall
(modernised) Oxford University Press

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SIXTH LESSON
§ A representative of the City of Cambridge reads the lesson.

St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.

to pass in those days, that there went out

A
N D I T CA M E
a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should
be taxed. 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 Judæa, 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.
Luke 2.1–7
C A RO L S
A N G E L S , from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang Creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory be to God on high.
Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Sages, leave your contemplations;
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations;
Ye have seen his natal star:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending
In his temple shall appear.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

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Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to him;
Every knee shall then bow down:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
James Montgomery Traditional French
arr. Reginald Jacques
Oxford University Press

G O O D people all, this Christmas time,

Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born.
The night before that happy tide,
The noble virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass,
From every door repelled, alas;
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble oxen stall.
Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep,
To whom God’s angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear:
‘Prepare and go’, the angels said,
‘To Bethlehem, be not afraid
For there you’ll find, this happy morn
A princely Babe, sweet Jesus, born.’
With thankful heart and joyful mind
The shepherds went the babe to find
And as God’s angel had foretold
They did our Saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid
And by his side the Virgin Maid
Attending on the Lord of Life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.
Traditional ‘Wexford Carol’
Enniscorthy, c.15th century arr. John Rutter
transc. William Henry Grattan-Flood Oxford University Press

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SEVENTH LESSON
§ The Director of Music reads the lesson.

The shepherds go to the manger.

were in the same country shepherds

A
ND THERE
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying
in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came
to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the
Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and
found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Thanks be to God.
Luke 2.8–16
C A RO L
S I L E N T night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant, so tender and mild:
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds first saw the sight:
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing alleluia:
Christ the Saviour is born.
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Joseph Mohr Franz Grüber
trans. John Freeman Young arr. John Rutter
Oxford University Press

§ All stand.

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HYMN
§ All sing the hymn.

W H I L E shepherds watched their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
‘Fear not,’ said he (for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind);
‘Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
‘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:
‘The heav’nly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.’
 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:
‘All glory be to God on high,
And on the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth from heav’n to men
Begin and never cease.’
Nahum Tate ‘Winchester Old’ arr. George Kirbye
verse 6 arr. Nicholas Marston
Unpublished

§ All sit.

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EIGHTH LESSON
§ The Vice-Provost reads the lesson.

The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in

N
OW W H E N
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 Judæa: 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, inquired
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.
Matthew 2.1–12

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C A RO L
T H OU who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest Man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.
Immanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what Thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship Thee.
Frank Houghton Traditional French
harm. Charles Herbert Kitson
arr. Daniel Hyde
Unpublished
C A RO L
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, (Ding-dong! Ding-dong!)
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

please turn the page quietly

 And all the angels in heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the angels in heav’n shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
Then let us all rejoice amain!
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
Then let us all rejoice amain!
On Christmas Day in the morning.
Traditional English Traditional English
arr. Simon Preston
Novello & Co. Ltd

§ All stand.
NINTH LESSON
§ The Provost reads the lesson.

St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

was the Word, and the Word was with

I
N THE BEGINNING
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the
life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and
the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from
God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to
bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might
believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of
that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man
that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto
his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.
Thanks be to God.
John 1.1–14

§ All remain standing.

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HYMN
§ All sing the hymn.

O C O M E , 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, let us adore him &c.
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 &c.
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 &c.
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 &c.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God in the highest:
O come, let us adore him &c.

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 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory giv’n;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him &c.
Adeste, fideles ‘Adeste, fideles’
trans. Frederick Oakley, John Francis Wade
William Thomas Brooke &al. verses 1–5 arr. David Willcocks
verse 6 arr. Christopher Robinson
verse 7 arr. David Hill
Oxford University Press, Novello & Co. Ltd & David Hill

§ All remain standing.

COLLECT & BLESSING
Dean T H E L O R D be with you.
All And with thy spirit.
Dean Let us pray.
O G O D , who makest us glad with the yearly
remembrance of the birth of thy only son, Jesus Christ:
grant that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer,
so we may with sure confidence behold him,
when he shall come to be our judge;
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
world without end.
All Amen.
Dean C H R I ST , who by his incarnation gathered into
one things earthly and heavenly,
fill you with peace and goodwill,
and make you partakers of the divine nature;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be amongst you and remain with you always.
All Amen.

§ All remain standing.

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HYMN
§ All sing the hymn.

H A R K ! 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.
 Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead 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.
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Ris’n 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.
Charles Wesley &al. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
adapt. William Hayman Cummings verse 3 arr. David Willcocks
Oxford University Press

§ All remain standing during the first organ voluntary.

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O RGA N VO L U N TA R I E S
§ The congregation is silent during both organ voluntaries, which are being
broadcast.

In dulci jubilo B W V 729 Johann Sebastian Bach

Bärenreiter Verlag

Carillon-Sortie Henri Mulet

Éditions Schola Cantorum

§ During the second organ voluntary, the procession returns to the vestry;
the Provost, Fellows and their guests leave Chapel, followed by the
remainder of the congregation.

§ Thank you for attending today’s service.

Please contribute to the retiring collection as you leave. If you wish to make
a more considered or sustained financial contribution to help support the
life of the Chapel or Choir, please contact the Dean or Director of Music.

THE DEAN OF CHAPEL

King’s College, Cambridge
CB2 1ST
F RO M T H E COMMISSIONED COMPOSER

H Y D E suggested I might write a carol that

D
ANIEL
could bring ‘a moment of stillness’ to the service,
giving me freedom to choose my own text. It’s always
an engaging process, selecting what I hope will be just the right
text for a commission. For this carol I looked for words that
would help express a feeling of intimacy and quiet joy; a text
which lent itself to a slower tempo: nothing too animated.
I have always loved the medieval poem There is no rose, and after
looking through many different texts I felt this macaronic gem
would be just the one to convey the spirit I was after. Of course,
how could one not be aware of such exquisite existing settings,
notably those by Britten and Joubert? And yet the intensity and
beauty of these words seemed so appropriate for that quieter
moment of contemplation within the service.
It is an extraordinary honour to have been asked to write this
year’s King’s College carol. I find it thrilling to think of all the
illustrious composers stretching back to 1983, the year in which
Sir Stephen Cleobury introduced the concept of these festive
commissions. This year feels extra special after such a chorally
barren landscape due to the pandemic.
There is no rose is written in fond memory of Lucian Nethsingha,
who died earlier this year. He was an undergraduate at King’s,
prior to a distinguished career at St Michael’s Tenbury and
Exeter Cathedral. There is no rose is commissioned by King’s
College with support from the late Lucian Nethsingha.

Cecilia McDowall
H I STO R I CA L C H R I ST M A S COMMISSIONS

1983 In wintertime Lennox Berkeley

1984 Fix on one star Peter Maxwell Davies
1985 Illuminare Jerusalem Judith Weir
1986 Nowell (Holly dark) Richard Rodney Bennett
1987 What sweeter music John Rutter
1988 The birthday of thy King Peter Sculthorpe
1989 St Steven was a clerk Alexander Goehr
1990 Богородице Дево Arvo Pärt
1991 The text is of a gathering John Casken
1992 Sweet Jesu, King of blisse Nicholas Maw
1993 When Christ was born
(Christo paremus cantica) Diana Burrell
1994 The angels Jonathan Harvey
1995 Seinté Mari moder milde James MacMillan
1996 Pilgrim Jesus Stephen Paulus
1997 Fayrfax carol Thomas Adès
1998 Winter solstice carol Giles Swayne
1999 Dormi, Jesu! John Rutter
1999 On Christmas Day to
my heart Richard Rodney Bennett
2000 The three Kings Jonathan Dove
2000 The shepherd’s carol Bob Chilcott
2001 Spring in winter JohnWoolrich
2002 The angel Gabriel descended Robin Holloway
2003 The gleam Harrison Birtwistle
2004 God would be born in thee Judith Bingham
2005 Away in a manger John Tavener
2006 Misere’ nobis Mark-Anthony Turnage
2007 Advent responsories/
High word of God Philip Ledger & David Willcocks
2007 Now comes the dawn Brett Dean
2008 Mary Dominic Muldowney
2009 The Christ-child Gabriel Jackson
2010 Christmas carol Einojuhani Rautavaara
2011 Christmas Eve Tansy Davies
2012 Ring out, wild bells Carl Vine
2013 Hear the voice of the bard Thea Musgrave
2014 De Virgine Maria Carl Rütti
2015 The flight Richard Causton
2016 This endernight Michael Berkeley
2017 Elisha’s carol/Carol Eliseus Huw Watkins
2018 O mercy divine Judith Weir
2019 The angel Gabriel Philip Moore
2020 No commission
2021 There is no rose Cecilia McDowall
A H I STO RY O F N I N E L E S S O N S & C A RO L S
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was first held on

A Christmas Eve, 1918. It was planned by Eric Milner-

White, who at the age of thirty-four had just been
appointed Dean of King’s. His experience as an army chaplain
had convinced him that the Church of England needed more
imaginative worship. He devised our Advent Carol Service in
1934, and was a liturgical pioneer and authority during his
twenty-two years as Dean of York from 1941–63.
In 1918, the music was directed by Organist Arthur Henry
Mann. The choir included sixteen trebles as laid down in King
Henry VI’s statutes, and the men’s voices were provided partly
by Choral Scholars and partly by older Lay Clerks.
A revision of the Order of Service was made in 1919, involving
rearrangement of the lessons, and from that date the service
has always begun with the hymn ‘Once in royal David’s city’. In
almost every year some carols have been changed and some new
ones introduced by successive Organists: Arthur Henry Mann,
1876–1929; Boris Ord, 1929–57; Harold Darke (Ord’s substitute
during the war), 1940–45; Sir David Willcocks, 1957–73; Sir
Philip Ledger, 1974–82; Sir Stephen Cleobury, 1982–2019; and,
from 2019, Daniel Hyde. Changes to the Bidding, prayers and
readings, on the other hand, have been rare.
The original service was, in fact, adapted from an Order drawn
up by E.W. Benson, the Bishop of Truro and later Archbishop
of Canterbury, who was given the idea by G.H.S. Walpole, later
Bishop of Edinburgh. The first service took place in the large
wooden shed, which then served as Benson’s Cathedral, at 10.00
on Christmas Eve, 1880—an effort to keep people out of the
pubs!
A.C. Benson recalled:

My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for

Christmas Eve—nine carols and nine tiny lessons, which were read
by various officers of the Church, beginning with a chorister, and
ending, through the different grades, with the Bishop.

Almost immediately, other churches adapted the service for

their own use. A wider fame began to grow when the service
was first broadcast in 1928. With the exception of 1930, the
service has been broadcast annually—even during the Second
World War, when the sixteenth-century glass had been
removed from the Chapel and the name of King’s could not be
broadcast for security reasons. In 2020 there was a broadcast of
words and music, specially pre-recorded in an otherwise empty
Chapel.
Sometime in the early 1930s, the BBC began broadcasting the
service on overseas programmes. It is estimated that there are
now millions of listeners worldwide, including those to BBC
Radio 4 in the United Kingdom. In recent years the BBC has
broadcast a recording on Christmas Day on BBC Radio 3, and
since 1956 a shorter service has been filmed periodically for
television. Recordings of carols by Decca, EMI and now on the
College’s own record label have also served to spread its fame.
The broadcasts have become part of Christmas for many far
from Cambridge. One correspondent wrote that he heard the
service in a tent on the foothills of Everest; another, in the
desert. Many listen at home, busy about their own preparations
for Christmas. Visitors from all over the world are heard to
identify the Chapel as ‘the place where the Carols are sung’.
Wherever the service is heard, however it is adapted and
whether the music is provided by choir or congregation, the
pattern and strength of the service, as Dean Milner-White
pointed out, derive from the lessons and not the music.

The main theme is the development of the loving-purposes of God

[seen] through the windows and words of the Bible.

From time to time, the College receives copies of services held

around the world. Examples from the Caribbean and East Asia
show how widely the tradition has spread. Local interests often
appear, as they do here, in the bidding prayer, and personal
circumstances give point to different parts of the service. Many
of those who took part in the first service must have recalled
those killed in the Great War when it came to the famous
passage:

all those who rejoice with us but on another shore and in a greater
light.

The centre of the service is still found by those who ‘go in heart
and mind’ and who consent to follow where the story leads.
C H R I ST M A S ( I I )
sing; and shall I silent be?

T
HE SHEPHERDS
My God, no hymne for thee?
My soul’s a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is thy word: the streams, thy grace
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
Out-sing the day-light hours.
Then will we chide the sunne for letting night
Take up his place and right:
We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should
Himself the candle hold.
I will go searching, till I find a sunne
Shall stay, till we have done;
A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly,
As frost-nipt sunnes look sadly.
Then will we sing, and shine all our own day,
And one another pay:
His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine,
Till ev’n His beams sing, and my musick shine.
George Herbert
JOIN THE CHOIR

W E A R E L O O K I N G for boys in Years 2–4 at school who have a

love of music and a desire to learn.
If you know a boy who loves singing, please get in touch with
us for an informal discussion about becoming a Chorister at
King’s.
[email protected]
+44 (0)1223 331224

If you are considering a Choral or Organ Scholarship to King’s

College, get in touch with Daniel Hyde, Director of Music, for
an informal discussion.
[email protected]
kings.cam.ac.uk/choir

T H E K I N G ’ S C A M PA I G N
T H E K I N G ’ S C A M PA I G N is raising funds in four areas that
are the most important to us: attracting and enabling the best
students regardless of their financial background, enabling our
academics to continue to engage in transformative teaching and
research, protecting and enhancing our heritage, and fostering
innovation. King’s has been a catalyst for change throughout its
history, and a successful Campaign will ensure that the College
is sufficiently equipped to continue to be a world-leading
environment for learning, where great minds collaborate for
the benefit of all.
kings.cam.ac.uk/campaign
K I N G’S C O L L E G E , C A M B R I D G E
MMXXI