Dóminus dixit ad me: Fílius meus es tu, Ego hódie génui te.

Puer natus est nobis, et fílius datus est nobis: cuius impérium super húmerum eius: et vocábitur nomen eius, magni consílii Angelus.

This Christmas at All Saints Ainslie we reprised Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring at the Midnight Mass, this time with an oboe (our oboist also played the descant lines for the classic Willcocks carols):

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown,

Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,

Hark, what peaceful music rings;

Where the flock, in Thee confiding,

Drink of joy from deathless springs.

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

There were many many stars visible in the night sky on the way to and from the service. Reminds me of the English version of the Cantique de Noël ("O Holy Night").

Our director Alasdair cantored solo for the Christmas day mass, so we only had to sing for one service. I also tuned into the livestreamed midnight mass at my old haunt St. Michael and All Saints, and got hit with massive liturgical envy. They did all of the ordinaries and propers in Latin with gregorian chant. Some really great liturgy work in general. I plan to sing with them again for two weeks next month!

Deus in loco sancto suo: Deus, qui inhabitáre facit unánimes in domo: ipse dabit virtútem et fortitúdinem plebi suæ.

Dum médium siléntium tenérent ómnia, et nox in suo cursu médium iter habéret, omnípotens sermo tuus, Dómine, de cælis a regálibus sédibus venit.

I got up early to attend the BCP service at St. John's, but was disappointed to see that the service was following the APBA and not the BCP. I think the BCP is only used after January. Furthermore, even by APBA standards the Eucharistic prayer was rushed and insufficiently reverent. Oh well, it is a lovely little church:

Then I walked to All Saints Ainslie, and volunteered at the last minute to cantor for this choirless Sunday mass. I sang an old favourite of mine a capella: The truth sent from above (famously used by Ralph Vaughan Williams in his Fantasia on Christmas Carols):

This is the truth sent from above,

The truth of God, the God of love,

Therefore don't turn me from your door

But hearken all, both rich and poor.

The first thing which I do relate

Is that God did Man create;

The next thing which to you I'll tell:

Woman was made with Man to dwell.

Then after this 'twas God's own choice

To place them both in Paradise,

There to remain from Evil free,

Except they ate of such a tree.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes

Till God the Lord did interpose,

And so a promise soon did run

That he would redeem us by his Son.

And at this season of the year,

Our blest Redeemer did appear.

Here he did live, and here did preach,

Any many thousands he did teach.

Thus he in Love to us behaved,

To show us how we must be saved,

And if you too want to know the way

Be pleased to hear what He did say.