Relayed from Winchester Cathedral
The Bells
Order of Service :
8.0 Opening Sentence (Music by Dr. Prendergast,
Organist of Winchester Cathedral)
Hymn, 0 come, all ye faithful (English Hymnal,
No, 28 ; Ancient and Modern, Ko. 59)
Prayers
Psalm 50
Lesson
The Magnificat
'Prayers and Intercessions
Carols :
In dulci jubilo (R. L. Pearsall ) (1795.1856)
In dulci jubilo,
Let us our homage shew : Our heart's joy reclineth In praesepio,
And like a bright star shineth Matris in gremio; Alpha es et 0.
0 Jesu parvule!
My heart is sore for Thee Hear me, I beseech Thee, 0 puer optime I
My prayer let it reach Thee, 0 Princeps gloriae I Trahe me post Te I
0 Nati lenitas!
Nati Deeply were we stained Per nostra crimina;
But Thou hast for us gained Caelorum gaudia :
0 that we were there I
Ubi sunt gaudia, where ? If that they be not there, There are angels singing Nova cantica ;
There the bells are ringing In Kegis curia :
0 that we were there I
Traditional
When the Crimson Sun had set (Old French)
Sermon by The Very Reverend The Dean of Winchester, D.D.
Hymn, Hark ! the Herald Angels sing (English
Hymnal, No. 24; Ancient and Modern, No. 60)
Blessing pronounced by the Right Reverence
The Lord Bishop of Winchester, D.D.
Today is Christmas Day, and all England may celebrate it in spirit in Winchester Cathedral. Winchester, 'the cradle of English history,' -looks back to the 12th Century as its golden age. Under the Norman kings it rivalled London in importance: the Royal Treasure continued to be housed there as it had been in Saxon times: the prestige of the city as the capital of Wessex outlived the Conquest, and its increasing wealth, due mainly to the woollen trade, found practical expression in its architecture. The Cathedral stands as the embodiment of Winchester's past. The ornaments, iron-work, wood-work, illuminated manuscripts, and music that clustered around the central glory of England's largest Cathedral are the lasting evidence of the Winchester tradition. To this city fell the delicate task of mingling the strains of Wessex Saxon and Norman French to produce and foster the English genius in government, religion, literature, education, and decorative art. Winchester still preserves its traditions, but the fabric of the Cathedral needs the organized efforts of the ' Friends of the Cathedral ' to combat the ravages of time and the death-watch beetle. Today, when England worships in Winchester, it is inconceivable that its Cathedral, which has preserved so much for England, will not herself be preserved.