By Ronald Ireland
Welcome to the Old Parish Church of Peebles on this, the evening of the 20th December, the last Sunday in Advent and the last Sunday before Christmas.
The music you are hearing is Veni, Veni, Emmanuel arranged by Rebecca te Velde and played on the organ of the Old Parish Church by Sarah Brown, our organist and Director of Music.
For decades past, here in the Old Parish Church we have celebrated the coming of Christmas with a service of Lessons and Carols, shared with the whole community of Peebles and beyond. This year we are unable to meet in church, but through the wonders of modern technology we are able to bring you the story of the Incarnation in words and music.
Our service this evening is led by the Very Rev David Arnott.
So, wherever you are, join with us now and let us go even unto Bethlehem.
We begin our service with the processional hymn, Once in Royal David’s City.
Choir: Once in Royal David’s City
(Verse 1 – Solo)
Once, in royal David’s city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars his children crowned,
All in white shall gather round.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor and meek and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy.