Services at St Stephen’s
Advent 2024 to date
Archives: 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20
St Stephen’s has been at the centre of its community for over 900 years, and remains so today. Our mission is to equip God’s people through thoughtful worship, warm fellowship, and enriching teaching. We are a church with a thriving robed choir of an excellent standard. If you are 9 months or 90 years old, or anywhere in between, we look forward to welcoming you!
| Sunday | 10.30am | Sung Eucharist * |
| 6.00pm | Choral Evensong * | |
| Wednesday | 10.00am | Holy Communion (said) |
Lectionary Year C
The Second Sunday of Epiphany
Sunday 19th January 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: Listen sweet dove – Ives
Hymns: 443, 377, 484 (omit *; t. 167), 280 (omit *), 467
Voluntary: Processional – Ives
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Ayleward
Psalm 96
Canticles: Parish Psalter Set B
Anthem: The Lamb – Tavener
Hymns: 49, 51
Voluntary: Variations on ‘King Jesus had a garden’ – Peeters
The Baptism of Christ
Sunday 12th January 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: Tomorrow shall be my dancing day – Gardner
Hymns: 352, 58, 55, 294, 56 (omit *)
Voluntary: Noël – Daquin
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Ayleward
Psalms 46 & 47
Canticles: Stanford in B-flat
Anthem: In the bleak mid-winter – Darke
Hymns: 58, 431
Voluntary: Adagio in E – Bridge
The Epiphany
Sunday 5th January 2025
10.30am Festal Sung Eucharist
Celebrant and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: The first nowell – Chilcott
Hymns: 47 (CfC1 p.8), 49ii, 50 (t. 363), 40, 52
Voluntary: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern – Buxtehude
6.00pm Festal Choral Evensong
Responses: Ayleward
Psalm 98
Canticles: Parish Psalter Set A
Anthem: Three kings in great glory – Shaw
Hymns: 46ii, 48
Voluntary: Prelude on ‘We three kings of orient are’ – Mawby
St Thomas of Canterbury
Sunday 29th December 2024
10.30am Sung Eucharist
President and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: Mass of St Thomas – Thorne
Hymns: 33 (omit *), ‘King of the martyrs’ noble band’ (t. 59ii), 25, 39
CHRISTMAS DAY
Wednesday 25th December 2024
10.30am Festal Sung Eucharist
President: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Preacher: Rev. Sally Pickersgill, Curate
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
During Communion: Choir carols
Hymns: 30 (omit vs. 4), 21, 28, 22 (CfC1 p2), 26 (omit vs.4; CfC1 p39)
Voluntary: Toccata from Symphony V – Widor
Christmas Eve
Tuesday 24th December 2024
10.30am Crib Service
St Stephen’s Choir will be singing for the Archbishop and leading the Community Carols in Rose Square at 6.15pm this evening
10.00pm Midnight Mass
President and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: Mass of St Thomas – Thorne
Hymns: 34, 29, 32 (omit vs. 4), 35, 30 (omit vs. 4)
Voluntary: Chorale Prelude on ‘In dulci jubilo’ (BWV 729) – J. S. Bach
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday 22nd December 2024
10.30am Sung Eucharist and Baptism
President: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: Nova! Nova! – Chilcott
Hymns: 11, 15, 185, 295, 10
Voluntary: Advent reflections – Bonighton
6.00pm Service of Lessons and Carols for Christmas
The Third Sunday of Advent
Sunday 15th December 2024
10.30am Sung Eucharist
President and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: Rejoice in the Lord alway – Purcell
Hymns: 6, 170ii, 16, 18, 7
Voluntary: Wake, O wake – Marsh
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Sung by the Tenors and Basses
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 50 vv. 1–6
Magnificat: Plainchant tone vi
Nunc dimittis: Plainchant tone iv-4
Anthem: The Advent Prose – Plainchant (ed. Cleobury)
Hymns: 1i , 8 (t. 128ii)
Voluntary: Rorate Caeli Choral orne – Demessieux
The Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday 8th December 2024
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Celebrant and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: People, look East – Besancon carol melody, arr. Shaw
Hymns: 5, 12, 14, 308, 388i
Voluntary: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (BWV 601) – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 75
Magnificat: Morley fauxbourdons
Nunc dimittis: Morley fauxbourdons
Anthem: How lovely are the messengers – Mendelssohn
Hymns: 2, ‘Hark, what a sound’ (t. NEH 320i)
Voluntary: Prelude on ‘Come, thou long expected Jesus’ – Setchell
The First Sunday of Advent
Sunday 1st December 2024
10.30am Festal Sung Eucharist
President and Preacher: Rev. Dr David Vannerley, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Introit: I look from afar – adapted from a Magnificat by Palestrina
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: The truth from above – trad. English carol, arr. Vaughan Williams
Hymns: 11, 3ii, 7, 298, 9
Voluntary: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 645) – J. S. Bach
6.00pm ‘From Darkness to Light’ — A Service for Advent
The Advent Antiphons
I look from afar – adapted from a Magnificat by Palestrina
A tender shoot – Goldschmidt
O thou the central orb – Wood
O radiant dawn – MacMillan
Dismissal – Barker
Hymns 19 (omit vv. 5 & 7), 7, 12, ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’, 9
Voluntary: Toccata on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ – Carter