Carol: ' This day Christ was bom' (Byrd) Responses : Festal
Proper Psalms : 19, 45, 85
First Lesson : Isaiah ix, 2-7
Te Deum : Dyson in D
Second Lesson: St. Luke ii, 1-20 Benedictus : Dyson in D
Hymn : ' Hark, the herald Angels sing'
(English Hymnal, 24 ; Ancient and Modern, 6c) yORK MINSTER, like the Cathedrals of -*- Canterbury and Westminster, has been closely linked with Broadcasting since the early days of the B.B.C. It is now traditional that the Christmas Day programmes should begin with a service relayed from one of the great cathedrals. Last year it came from Canterbury, in 1929 from York. We have heard many relays, religious and musical, from York Minster. The fine old cathedral has given us Bach's Passion Music and B Minor Mass, the Messiah, and many organ recitals. Several services are regularly relayed— the Military Service each year, and, in the North Region, Evensong every week. The Easter Service and Watch Night Service, the Civic Sunday Service, and 'the Patronal Feast Service on St. Peter's Day, have all been heard on occasion. In 1926 the services of Dedication of the War Memorial Chapel and the Dedication of the Bells were relayed, in 1927 the celebrations of the thirteenth centenary of the Minster, in 1929 the Enthronement of the present Archbishop, Dr. Temple, on his predecessor's translation to the Primacy. When you listen this morning to the fine singing at York, recall for a moment the ancient history and great tradition of the Minster from which it comes to you. York Minster is, essentially, thirteen centuries and four years old. The present building stands on the site of the wooden church in which Paulinus, first Archbishop of York, baptized King Edwin of Northumbria, on Easter Day, 627. King Edwin began to build a church there in stone, but it was partly destroyed in the troubles that followed his death. It was repaired and completed, but burned down in the Fire of York at the time of the Norman Invasion. The present church was built between 1150 and 1250 and rebuilt up to about 1472. This purely Gothic church is now the largest cathedral in the country-and an exquisite setting for the Christmas Service you are to hear this morning.