Welcome to a New Year at St Michael’s, Mount Dinham, and a significant one in at least 2 respects.

First, our new Vicar, Fr Nigel Guthrie, arrives – his Induction & Installation Service is at St David’s Church on Tuesday 16th January at 7.30pm. Please make every effort to attend – there will be much ceremonial, symbolism and prayer, a combined choir, and hopefully some good refreshments.  Please Note that from Sunday 4th February, Fr Nigel has asked and the PCC has agreed that Sung Mass will start at 11am, so that he has opportunity to be present with us at St Michael’s as well as at St David’s. We hope this is not too inconvenient for anyone.

Secondly, 2018 is our Sesquicentenary Year at St Michael’s – Michaelmas 2018 will be 150 years since our beautiful church was consecrated to the Glory of God and to His service in this special part of Exeter. We hope and pray we can continue our Victorian forefathers’ vision in varied activities of celebration, service and stewardship.

Meanwhile here’s a summary of our Sunday services – the new Music List is now finalised.

Sunday 28th January Septuagesima (as Easter is rather early this year). Sung Mass at 10.45am celebrated by Ven David Gunn-Johnson. Hymns 377 : 433 : 339.  Stanford, Mass in C&F. Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. Matt Clark will be Organist today.

Here’s my layman’s analysis of the splendid, thrilling, multi-verse Anthem “Ye Choirs of new Jerusalem”. Composed by C V Stanford in 1910, the words are by St Ful­bert of Chartres (952-1028) Chor­us no­vae Je­ru­sa­lem; trans­lated into Eng­lish by Ro­bert Campbell in 1850, modified by Hymns Ancient & Modern and made famous through H J Gauntlett’s hymn tune ‘St Fulbert’. Stanford’s anthem uses entirely original material, alternating between two contrasting thematic ideas, one in G major in a lilting triple time (‘Ye choirs of New Jerusalem’), the other in the minor in quadruple time (‘Devouring depths of hell their prey’).

Ye choirs of new Jerusalem, Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn In strains of holy joy.  ( 3/4  Sopranos set out the main theme in G major, repeated later harmonised)

For Judah’s Lion bursts His chains, Crushing the serpent’s head;
And cries aloud through death’s domains To wake th’imprison’d dead.  ( 3/4  SATB modulate from D minor, A, E, back to G)

Ye choirs of new Jerusalem, Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn In strains of holy joy.  ( 3/4  SATB G major main theme harmonised)

Devouring depths of hell Their prey at His command restore;
His ransom’d hosts pursue their way Where Jesus goes before.  ( 4/4  SATB Fugue, second subject, G minor to E flat)

Triumphant in His glory now, To Him all power is given;
To Him in one communion bow All saints in earth and heaven.  ( 4/4  SATB modulate from E flat back to D minor)

While we, His soldiers, praise our King, His mercy we implore,
Within His palace bright to bring And keep us evermore.  ( 3/4  Bass tune, mixed trios, G, C, back to D major)

Ye choirs of new Jerusalem, Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn In strains of holy joy.  ( 3/4  SATB G major theme sung a third time)

All glory to the Father be, All glory to the Son,
All glory, Holy Ghost, to Thee, While endless ages run.  ( 4/4 TB/SA alternate, SATB, second subject transformed to G major)

Alleluia! Amen.  (Fanfare)

Sunday 7th January EPIPHANY 10.45am Sung Mass. Hymns: 50 : 47 : 49. Setting: Missa Aeterna Christi Munera by Palestrina. Motet: There Shall a Star, by Mendelssohn.  Being the first Sunday of the Month, there is also 6pm Evensong & Benediction. Responses: Radcliffe. Psalm: 98. Office Hymn: 52. Canticles: Gibbons Short Service. Anthem: The Lamb, by John Tavener. O salutaris: 269. Tantum Ergo: 268.

Sunday 14th January Epiphany II (since 7 Jan was also Epiphany I). Sung Mass 10.45am celebrated by Fr Christopher. Hymns 56: 362 : 393.  Kenneth Leighton, Mass in D. Palestrina, Sicut Cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum.

Sunday 21st January Epiphany III. Sung Mass 10.45am. Fr Christopher. Hymns 48 : 36 : 235 (changed from original draft). Viadana, Missa L’Hora Passa. Durufle, Ubi Caritas et Amor, Deus ibi est. (As of 14 Jan, still looking for an Organist, but Mass & Motet are unaccompanied. So we sang it all a cappella until our new Vicar, Nigel Guthrie arrived from St David’s at Communion and jumped on the Organ bench to play the final hymn and a sparkling voluntary!)