A Service of Evensong celebrating William Byrd on the 400th anniversary of his death.

 

A Service of Evensong celebrating

William Byrd

on the 400^th anniversary of his death

Sunday 2^nd July 2023

St. Peter St. Paul

Stondon Massey 3pm

 

Please stand, as you are able, at the entrance of the ministers.

All people that on earth do dwell,

William Kethe (d. 1594)

 DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same …Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me:

 A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation after the Minister, all sitting or kneeling.

 ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done  … Amen.

 The Absolution or Remission of sins to be pronounced by the Priest

 ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner … that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Then the Minister lead the people in the Lord’s prayer

 OUR Father, which art in heaven …

Priest.     O Lord, open thou our lips.

Answer. And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

 

Priest.     O God, make speed to save us.

Answer O Lord, make haste to help us.

 Here, all standing up, the Priest shall say,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 Priest.     Praise ye the Lord.

Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.

 

PSALM 8

 

The Stondon Singers - William Byrd: Kyrie. Mass for 4 voices.

 

The first reading                                                    

Isaiah 64:1-12

 

Reader    This is the Word of the Lord.

All         Thanks be to God.

 

The Second reading

Matthew 6: 25-34

 

Reader    This is the Word of the Lord.

All         Thanks be to God.

 

Stondon Singers - William Byrd: Agnus Dei: Mass for 4 voices

 

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth …

 

 

Minister.  The Lord be with you.
Answer   And with thy spirit.

Then the Priest standing up shall say,

Priest.      O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
Answer.  And grant us thy salvation

Priest.      O Lord, save the King.
Answer    And mercifully hear us when we call upon  thee.

Priest.      Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
Answer.  And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest.      O Lord, save thy people.
Answer   .And bless thine inheritance.

Priest.      Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer.  Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

Priest.      O God, make clean our hearts within us.
Answer.    And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow three Collects: The first of the day: The second for Peace: The third for Aid against all Perils, as hereafter followeth: which two last Collects shall be daily said at Evening Prayer without alteration.

The Second Collect at Evening Prayer

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils

A Prayer for the King's Majesty.

A Prayer for the Royal Family.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

 

Care for thy soul as thing of greatest price,

      Made to the end to taste of power divine,

Devoid of guilt, abhorring sin and vice,

      Apt by God’s grace to virtue to incline.

Care for it so as by thy retchless train

It be not brought to taste eternal pain.

 

Care for thy corse, but chiefly for soul’s sake;

      Cut off excess, sustaining food is best;

To vanquish pride but comely clothing take;

      Seek after skill, deep ignorance detest.

Care so, I say, the flesh to feed and clothe

That thou harm not thy soul and body both.

 

Care for the world to do thy body right;

      Rack not thy wit to win thy wicked ways;

Seek not to oppress the weak by wrongful might;

      To pay thy due do banish all delays.

Care to dispend according to thy store,

And in like sort be mindful of the poor.

 

Care for thy soul, as for thy chiefest stay;

      Care for thy body for thy soul’s avail;

Care for the world for body’s help alway;

      Care yet but so as virtue may prevail.

Care in such sort that thou be sure of this:

Care keep thee not from heaven and heavenly bliss.

William Byrd

 

The Stondon Singers - William Byrd: Ave Verum Corpus

 

2 Corinthians 13.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

 

 For all the saints who from their labours rest …

William Walsham Howe 1823-1897

 

Andrew Smith – A “vote of thanks”

 

The Service will be followed by resfreshments.