Lessons and Carols 2.

So many services of Lessons and Carols. Last Saturday we sang in the Lutheran Church in Arnhem, an inner city church where quite a lot is done for the homeless, for refugees and for drug addicts. It is a big church and it was freezing cold inside, at least in the room where we had to robe, and in the corridors. The church wasn’t too bad, and they tried to warm us with hot coffee, nice rolls and fruit. The church is unusual with choir stalls in a semicircle against the back of the church. However, because there was a rather ugly stable in the process of construction, waiting for the ox and ass, Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus, the stalls were obscured and couldn’t be used, so we sat rather exposed on chairs in front of the congregation. There is a new organ, placed in the nave in front of the old organ which is still up on the gallery, lurking in the dark shadows. It looked a bit odd to me. Is it too expensive to remove the old organ? 

Arnhem, The new organ. You can just get a glimpse of the old one up on the gallery

Rheden last night was totally different. We sang in the old village church, warm and friendly. Our choir was only small, but we and the congregation really enjoyed the singing and the service. When I drove to Rheden, the moon rose above the horizon, a big, full moon, orange, as if there was a light shining inside, or a fire burning. At first I thought it was a hot air balloon as it was so large! It looked rather magical, especially over the river IJssel. After the service, later in the evening, the moon was higher in the sky and therefore smaller and no longer coloured orange, but exactly over the attractive church tower which was bathing in warm flood light. 

Above: the village church of Rheden, exterior and interior, and the nice organ front.

CAROL SERVICE, RHEDEN, 18^TH DECEMBER 2013, 8 P.M.

*          Once in Royal David's City             

            verse 1 solo, verse 2, 3, 4, 6 (descant)                                                

Bidding Prayer 

*          Adam lay ybounden – Howard Skempton (choir, CfCV 2)

*          Ding dong merrily        GCB 28 

First Lesson

*          Remember, O thou man – Thomas Ravenscroft (choir, AfC 170)

*          God rest you merry, gentlemen            GCB 29 + descant

            1 all, 2 choir, 3 men, 4 ladies, 5 all 

Second Lesson

*          Creator of the Stars of Night – Malcolm Archer (choir, AfC56) 

Third Lesson

*          O little town of Bethlehem       GCB 92 + descant Hopper 10 

Fourth lesson

*          There is no rose – Howard Skempton (choir, CfCV 192) 

Fifth Lesson

*          NEH 10 – Long ago, prophets knew             

*          Small wonder the star – Paul Edwards (choir) 

Sixth Lesson

*          See amid the winter’s snow     CfCV 150

            3 choir, 4 men, 5 ladies

*          My Lord has come – Will Todd (choir, CfCV 105) 

Seventh Lesson

*          The First Nowell          GCB 126 + descant, vs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

*          In the bleak mid-winter – Harold Darke (choir) 

Eighth Lesson

*          We three kings                  

*          New Year Carol – John Rutter (CfCV 108) 

Ninth Lesson

*          O come all ye faithful              GCB 88 + descant Hopper 11

            vs 1, 2, 6 + descant, 7 + descant 

Prayers

Blessing 

*          Hark the Herald Angels sing    GCB 39 + Ledger descant