Women's 40th Anniversary Choral Evensong Order of Service

CHRIST’S COLLEGE CHAPEL

SERVICE OF CELEBRATION On the 40th anniversary of the admission of women students

Please stand at the entrance of the Choir.

Welcome The Chaplain gives words of welcome.

We remain standing to sing the first hymn.

Hymn 1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation; O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation: Come ye who hear, Brothers and sisters draw near, Praise him in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth: Hast thou not seen All that is needful hath been Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee; Ponder anew All the Almighty can do, He who with love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!

All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!

Let the Amen Sound from his people again: Gladly for ay we adore him.

NEH 440: Joachim Neander, translated Catherine Winkworth

Please be seated.

Address Harriet Lyon: 500 years of women at Christ’s Harriet read History as an undergraduate at Christ's before continuing to the MPhil and PhD, which was awarded in the summer of 2018. Now, as the A. H. Lloyd Junior Research Fellow at Christ’s, she teaches and researches the history of early modern Britain, especially the political and cultural history of the long English Reformation.

Anthem The Choir sings Cecilia McDowall’s setting of the ‘Ave Maria’.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of death. Amen.

Address Maisie Hulbert: Cambridge, women, and music Maisie read Music at Christ’s (m. 2014), and went on to take the MPhil in Popular Music Studies, graduating with a Distinction in 2018.

During her time at Christ’s, Maisie was a member of the Chapel Choir and also Chair of CCMS, collaborating with the Lady Margaret Society to

run fundraising concerts of music by women in aid of Cambridge Rape Crisis. Maisie also founded Sing Inside, a charitable organisation running group singing workshops in UK prisons.

Maisie is now a freelance soprano and teacher alongside varied charity work, focusing particularly on the criminal justice sector. She currently works with Bounce Back and the Reasons Why Foundation, aiding resettlement and employment for recently released offenders. Maisie also works for Fat Macy’s, a social enterprise providing training and support for young homeless people transitioning to independent accommodation.

Alongside singing, Maisie continues to direct the expansion of Sing Inside, which now provides singing in twelve prisons across the country.

Anthem The Choir sings Judith Weir’s ‘Love bade me welcome’ (Herbert, Love III).

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, If I lacked anything.

‘A guest’, I answered, ‘worthy to be here’: Love said, ‘You shall be he’.

‘I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear, I cannot look on thee.’

Love took my hand and smiling did reply, ‘Who made the eyes but I?’ ‘Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve.’

‘And know you not,’ says Love, ‘who bore the blame?’

‘My dear, then I will serve.’

‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’

So I did sit and eat.

Hymn (please stand) 1. At the name of Jesus Every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess him King of glory now; ‘Tis the Father’s pleasure We should call him Lord, Who from the beginning Was the mighty word.

3. Bore it up triumphant With its human light Through all ranks of creatures, To the central height, To the throne of Godhead, To the Father’s breast; Filled it with the glory Of that perfect rest.

2. Humbled for a season, To receive a name From the lips of sinners Unto whom he came, Faithfully he bore it Spotless to the last, Brought it back victorious When from death he passed.

4. In your hearts enthrone him; There let him subdue All that is not holy, All that is not true: He is God the Saviour, He is Christ the Lord, Ever to be worshipped, Trusted, and adored.

Please be seated.

NEH 338: Caroline Noel

Bible Reading: Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 19-25 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Address Rebecca Howarth: Encouraging one another Rebecca read English at Christ's and sang in the Chapel Choir. She was involved with the Christian Union throughout her time at college. She now teaches English at a small boarding school in Somerset, and helps with the chaplaincy work there.

Anthem The Choir sings Imogen Holst’s ‘A Hymne to Christ’ (Donne).

In what torne ship soever I embarke, That ship shall be my embleme of thy Arke; What sea soever swallow mee, that flood Shall be to mee an embleme of thy blood; Though thou with clouds of anger to disguise Thy face; yet through that maske I know those eyes, Which, though they turne away sometimes, They never will despise.

I sacrifice this Island unto thee, And all whom I lov’d there, and who lov’d mee; When I have put our seas twixt them and mee, Put thou thy sea betwixt my sinnes and thee.

As the trees sap doth seeke the root below In winter, in my winter now I goe, Where none but thee, th’Eternall root Of true Love I may know.

Address Annabel Rooney: Notes with tales Annabel read music at Christ’s, with a University instrumental award on the cello, and continued her studies at the college with an MPhil and PhD. She now combines composition with instrumental teaching and work as a freelance cellist.

In addition to regular appearances at Evensong at Christ’s, Annabel’s music has been performed by choirs including those of Exeter and Ely cathedrals, the Chapel Royal, and Selwyn College, Cambridge. Christ’s Choir has recorded a disc of Annabel’s sacred choral music, which will come out in 2019. One of her pieces also features on a recently released Christmas disc from Ely Cathedral girls’ choir.

Anthem The Choir sings Annabel Rooney’s ‘Come my way, my truth, my life’ (Herbert).

Come my way, my truth, my life: Such a way, as gives us breath; Such a truth, as ends all strife; Such a life, as conquers death.

Come my light, my feast, my strength: Such a light, as shows a feast; Such a feast, as mends in length; Such a strength as makes his guest.

Come my joy, my love, my heart: Such a joy, as none can move; Such a love, as none can part; Such a heart, as joys in love.

Reading from: The Imitation of Christ (IV.16), by Thomas à Kempis, a work translated by Lady Margaret Beaufort, foundress of Christ’s.

O most sweet and loving Lord, whom now I devoutly desire to receive: thou knowest my infirmity and the necessity which I suffer; in what evils and vices I lie; how often I am weighed down, tempted, disturbed, and defiled. I come unto thee for remedy, I beseech of thee consolation and support. I speak unto thee who knowest all things, to whom all my secrets are open, and who alone art able perfectly to comfort and help me. Thou knowest what good thing I most stand in need of, and how poor I am in virtues.

Behold, I stand poor and naked before thee, requiring grace, and imploring mercy. Refresh the hungry suppliant, kindle my coldness with the fire of thy love, illuminate my blindness with the brightness of thy presence. Lift up my heart unto thee in heaven, and suffer me not to wander over the earth. Be thou alone sweet unto me from this day forward for ever, because thou alone art my meat and drink, my love and joy, my sweetness and my whole good.

Oh that thou wouldest altogether by thy presence, kindle, consume, and transform me into thyself; that I may be made one spirit with thee, by the grace of inward union, and by the melting of earnest love! What marvel if I should be wholly kindled from thee, and in myself should utterly fail – since thou art fire always burning and never failing, love purifying the heart and enlightening the understanding.

We sit or kneel to pray.

Prayers The First Collect, for Alumni of Christ’s College O Almighty and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify and govern in the ways of thy laws and in the works of thy commandments all who have gone forth from this College, in all places wheresoever they may be; that through thy most mighty protection, both now and ever, they may be preserved in body and soul, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace: O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that, by thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils: Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Please stand for the hymn.

Hymn 1. Now thank we all our God, With heart and hands and voices Who wondrous things hath done, In whom this world rejoices; Who from our mothers’ arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours to-day.

2. O may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us, With ever joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us; And keep us in his grace, And guide us when perplexed, And free us from all ills In this world and the next.

3. All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given, The Son, and him who reigns With them in highest heaven, The One eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore; For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.

Amen.

NEH 414: Martin Rinkart, translated Catherine Winkworth

We remain standing as a final Blessing is given, and the Choir departs.

Blessing The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.

All: Amen.

--You are invited to be seated for the Organ Voluntary, or to leave the Chapel quietly without disturbing those who wish to listen.

--There is a retiring collection for this term’s Charity, Jimmy’s which supports homeless people in Cambridge.

--You are warmly welcome to join us after the service for refreshments in the ante-chapel ---