Service of Reveal
of the Tomb and Celebration for
King Richard III
by the grace of God
King of England and France
and Lord of Ireland
12.00pm
Friday 27 March 2015
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Cathedral Recession
The Crucifer
The Acolytes
The reinterment of King Richard III is an event of great national and
international signiﬁcance. Today we recognise a King who lived through
turbulent times and whose Christian faith sustained him in life and death.
The Cathedral Clergy
The Canon Missioner
The Canon Chancellor
The Canon Precentor
The Sub-Dean
Members of Bishop’s Senior Staff
The Archdeacons of Leicester and Loughborough
The Dean
The Assistant Bishop of Leicester
The Bishop of Leicester
The Bishop’s Chaplain
The discovery of his remains in Leicester has been described as one of
the most signiﬁcant archaeological ﬁnds in this country’s history.
Civic Recession
King Richard III, who died aged 32 in 1485 during the Battle of
Bosworth, will now lie in peace in the City of Leicester in the heart of England.
I have fond memories of my visit to Leicester Cathedral in 2012 and I am
delighted to learn that its re-ordering has been completed in time for the
reinterment Service.
I send my sincere thanks to the University of Leicester, members of the
Church and other authorities in Leicester who have made this important
occasion possible.
ELIZABETH R.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire
The Chief Constable
The Mace
The Lord Mayor and Consort
The Chairman of Leicestershire County Council
The High Sheriff and Mrs Clowes
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester
HM Coroners
HM Judges
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire
Deputy Lieutenants
The Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester
The Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets
26 March 2015
Following this Service, all are welcome to view King Richard III’s tomb. If you wish to do
so, please remain in your places until invited to move by a Steward. After viewing your
cooperation in leaving the building promptly would be appreciated as the Cathedral
furniture will be rearranged in advance of the admission of the general public.
In his day King Richard III styled himself
“By the Grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland”
and in these Services for his reinterment we have followed that same ascription.
To donate to the Leicester Cathedral King Richard III Appeal visit
www.leicestercathedral.org
Leicester Cathedral thanks the following for their support
Taylor Bloxham (printing) Fedrigoni (paper)
Candles for the reinterment supplied by the Wax Chandlers Company.
Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):
Music reproduced under licence CCL180857
The hymn ‘Let us build a house’ is copyright © Marty Haugen, GIA Publications Inc.
Reprinted with permission of Calamus, Oak House, 70 High Street, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 0AU
‘O Rex Gentium’ is taken from Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year
and is copyright © Malcolm Guite.
Published by Canterbury Press, 2012. Reproduced by permission.
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Foreword
All remain standing to sing
The Hymn
Who would have believed a king would be found in a car park? It took much ingenuity
to ﬁnd and identify King Richard III. The advocacy and research of the Richard III Society,
combined with the passion and commitment of the Looking for Richard Project alongside
the expertise and care of the University of Leicester, led to his ﬁnding.
King Richard III was a courageous soldier, a disabled person at a time very different to
ours, a brother, husband and father who knew personal tragedy. His life, so often retold by
Shakespeare and the victors of Bosworth, places him at a pivot of our history and resolutely
within the culture of England. He seems a hero to some and a villain to others, and the few
short years of his reign held promise of a time of peace and good government that was not
to be. His ﬁnding returns him to the entire nation. He does not belong to one viewpoint or
to one geographical place. His story has more to reveal.
A - men,
The Houses of Lancaster and York battled it out and many on both sides died on 22 August
1485, casting a long shadow of grief. Leicester, since Roman times, was a place of cultural
exchange in the heart of England. Now we are an icon of modern Britain, with a diverse
city made up of many faiths and cultures set in a rural county, proud of her traditions.
Here we have learnt that difference can be life giving and that divisions can be healed. So
reconciliation is a key theme for these days. For example, representatives of the families
who were involved on both sides of the battle are here together in peace.
A - men.
O praise ye the Lord! Praise him in the height;
rejoice in his word, ye angels of light;
ye heavens adore him by whom ye were made,
and worship before him, in brightness arrayed.
Many partners have worked together, including Leicester City Council, Leicestershire
County Council, the Diocese of Leicester and the University of Leicester. We have sought
to act with a dignity and honour which is much deeper than any position or polemic. We
believe this bears witness to the power of the King’s story, and the ongoing need for us to
draw deeply from our past if we are to understand ourselves today.
O praise ye the Lord! Praise him upon earth,
in tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;
praise him who hath brought you his grace from above,
praise him who hath taught you to sing of his love.
King Richard was a person of profound Christian faith. As such he valued life as a gift. He
understood the need to love his neighbour, to pray for his enemies and be generous with his
resources. He would have known inspiration to create new vision and to carry him through
darkness. He would have had enduring hope that not even death could extinguish. As we
lay King Richard to rest in this Cathedral, mindful of our own mortality, might we too discover
hope which endures? Aware of so much fragmentation in our world, might difference be
reconciled and a community of belonging grow? All this could be a transforming legacy of
the last Plantagenet King.
O praise ye the Lord, all things that give sound;
each jubilant chord re-echo around;
loud organs, his glory forth tell in deep tone,
and, sweet harp, the story of what he hath done.
O praise ye the Lord! Thanksgiving and song
to him be outpoured all ages along:
for love in creation, for heaven restored,
for grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!
The Very Reverend David Monteith
Dean of Leicester
Amen, amen.
Laudate Dominum (CP543i)
C. H. H. Parry (1848-1918)
H. W. Baker (1821-1877)
based on Psalm 150
All remain standing for the Recession, during which the Organist plays the following
Voluntary:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude in E ﬂat BWV 552i
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Liturgical Note
Reinterment is the name used to describe the process by which bodies, committed to the ground
in a funeral rite, are later exhumed and reburied in a new site. Such events occur fairly regularly.
On this very site in 2014, during the creation of the new Cathedral Gardens, human remains were
discovered that were reburied with a short but digniﬁed ceremony of prayer. One year before,
under a car park less than 50 metres from where we now sit, a different set of bones were found
to be the remains of King Richard III. What makes the events of this week different is the status of
the person being reburied. In addition, the circumstances of Richard III’s funeral, which took place
more than 500 years ago, failed to honour his status as King of England. His funeral lacked the
dignity and ceremony customary for a man of his position.
Reburying the remains of high-status individuals was popular during the lifetime of King Richard
III. Most kings of the 1400s and many noble families were involved in reburials: Henry V reburied
Richard II at the beginning of the 1400s and, at the end, Richard III reburied Henry VI. Furthermore,
many dukes and earls engaged in reburial ceremonies, either as organisers or recipients.
Until fairly recently it was unknown what exactly happened at these 15th century reburial
ceremonies. However, in 2009 Dr Alexandra Buckle from the University of Oxford discovered
the only surviving account of a 15th century reburial in the British Library. Apart from well-known
liturgical elements still used in contemporary funerals and memorial services, the rite contains
unique elements not known to exist in other medieval liturgies. This rite has been highly inﬂuential
in the creation of the liturgies of this week. Changes have been made to make this a 21st century
service accessible to people attending or watching the reburial on television. However, enough
has been retained to make the reinterment service and the shape of the services of the entire week
recognisable to those who attended the ceremonies Richard III organised and frequented.
All remain standing as the Bishop pronounces
The Blessing
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
God, who has prepared for us a city with eternal foundations,
bring you to the triumphant joy of the city of the great King;
and the blessing of God almighty,
+ the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
The Dean leads
The Dismissal
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
the only wise God,
be honour and glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Glory, thanks and praise to God.
The medieval rite of reburial allowed the usual pattern of prayer in the church to continue in the
presence of the human remains to be reinterred. We follow exactly the same pattern at Leicester
Cathedral: we receive the remains at Compline, the Night Prayer of the Church, and we continue
our pattern of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and daily Eucharist whilst his remains are in repose.
Then, just as in the medieval rite, we reinter the remains in a service based on Morning Prayer.
Finally we conclude the week with a somewhat elaborate form of Midday Prayer.
Much time has been spent and knowledge brought to bear on creating a pattern of services for
our time; services that are similar in essence to those which Richard would have attended in life,
but which, until now, he has been denied in death.
Dr Alexandra Buckle
University of Oxford
The Reverend Canon Dr Johannes Arens
Canon Precentor, Leicester Cathedral
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4. Conclusion
Historical Note
All stand as the Choir sings
Magniﬁcat
+ My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magniﬁed me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of
their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath ﬁlled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our
forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
Herbert Murrill (1909-1952)
Evening Service in E
Luke 1.46-55
Richard III, King of England and Lord of Ireland, was the son of Richard Duke of York, the
Yorkist claimant to the throne of England, and his wife Cecily. The residences of the Dukes
of York included Fotheringhay Castle (Northamptonshire), where Richard was born on
3 May 1452. As the child of a protagonist in the Wars of the Roses, Richard was often
moved from place to place for safety, living at various times in Northamptonshire, London,
Greenwich, Burgundy and Yorkshire. At the age of nine, at a point when the tide of war had
moved temporarily in favour of the Yorkists, he was created Duke of Gloucester.
Richard emerged as a public ﬁgure in 1459, at the age of 17, and thereafter established
himself as the principal authority in Wales, the North of England, East Anglia and the West
Country. When King Edward died on 9 April 1483, Richard, his only surviving brother,
became Lord Protector. He then ascended the throne, bypassing the claim of his nephew
Edward V, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London with his younger brother. Richard
was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 6 July 1483. His claim to the throne was contested,
and when the boys in the Tower disappeared, Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) emerged as
Richard’s principal rival.
The enmity between Richard and Henry culminated on 22 August 1485 at Bosworth Field,
Leicestershire. In the words of one chronicler, Richard died ‘ﬁghting manfully in the thickest
press of his enemies’. His body was taken to Leicester, and a few days later was buried in
the church of the Franciscans. The exact location of his grave was eventually lost, but in
2012 the remains of his body were found.
All remain standing as the Canon Chancellor leads
Early accounts of Richard’s life were shaped by those who had defeated him, and
Shakespeare invested this distinctive perspective with an almost mythical status. Research
in recent decades, together with new information arising out of the ﬁnding of Richard’s
remains, has led to a re-evaluation of this decisive story in the history of these islands. The
glimpses of Richard’s character afforded by the historical record testify to his faith, his
commitment to equity and the rule of law, and to what one chronicler described as his ‘high
and ﬁerce courage’. He is now laid to rest with dignity and honour in the Cathedral of the
city where he has lain for the past 530 years.
The Acclamation
Lift up your heads O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
‘Who is the King of glory?’
‘The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord who is mighty in battle.’
Professor Gordon Campbell
University of Leicester
Lift up your heads O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
‘Who is the King of glory?’
‘The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.’
The Lord sits enthroned for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people;
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Psalm 29.9b, 10
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Photography, ﬁlming and sound recording are not allowed in Leicester Cathedral at any
time during this Service.
All sit as Arlo Mulligan-Vassel, a young performer from Curve Theatre, reads
Micah 6.8
Please ensure that mobile telephones, pagers and other electronic devices are switched off.
A reading from the Book of the prophet Micah.
The Service is sung by Leicester Cathedral Choir, conducted by
Dr Christopher Ouvry-Johns, Director of Music.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to
do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
The organ is played by Simon Headley, Cathedral Organist and Assistant Director of Music.
No response is made.
King Richard III’s coffin was specially commissioned from Michael Ibsen, direct all-femaleline descendant of King Richard III, with lead lining by Dr Jonathan Castleman.
All remain seated as the Reverend Canon Alison Adams leads
Music before the Service:
The Responsory
Gordon Slater (1896-1979)
An Easter Alleluia
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your sting?
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Pièce d’Orgue BWV 572
Organ Concerto in B ﬂat Op. 4 no. 2
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
A tempo ordinario e staccato - Allegro - Adagio e staccato - Allegro ma non presto
Allegro maestoso e vivace and Fuga
from Sonata 2 Op. 65
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Christ is risen from the dead,
the ﬁrst fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Death is swallowed up in victory.
The trumpet will sound
and the dead shall be raised.
Where, O death, is your sting?
We shall not all sleep,
but we shall be changed.
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your sting?
from 1 Corinthians 15
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All stand to sing
Before the Service a Procession of Civic Guests moves to their seats. All remain seated.
The Hymn
during which banners representing King Richard III’s royal coat of arms, donated
by the Richard III Society, are brought forward and placed in the Ambulatory.
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Civic Procession
The Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets
The Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester
Deputy Lieutenants
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire
HM Judges
HM Coroners
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester
The High Sheriff and Mrs Clowes
The Chairman of Leicestershire County Council
The Mace
The Lord Mayor and Consort
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire
The Chief Constable
The Choir processes to its seats. All remain seated.
Cathedral Procession
The Crucifer
The Acolytes
Make way, make way,
for Christ the King in splendour arrives;
ﬂing wide the gates
and welcome him into your lives.
Make way, make way,
for the King of kings;
make way, make way,
and let his kingdom in!
He comes the broken hearts to heal
the prisoners to free;
the deaf shall hear, the lame shall dance,
the blind shall see.
Make way…
The Cathedral Clergy
The Canon Missioner
The Canon Chancellor
The Canon Precentor
The Sub-Dean
Members of Bishop’s Senior Staff
The Archdeacons of Leicester and Loughborough
The Dean
The Assistant Bishop of Leicester
The Bishop of Leicester
The Bishop’s Chaplain
And those who mourn with heavy hearts,
who weep and sigh,
with laughter, joy and royal crown
he’ll beautify.
Make way…
words and music by Graham Kendrick (b.1950)
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Gathering
During this performance the Choir sings
All stand to sing
The Anthem
The Hymn
And I saw a new heaven
during which the Cathedral Procession moves to its seats
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the ﬁrst heaven and the ﬁrst earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for
the former things are passed away.
Edgar Bainton (1880-1956)
Revelation 21.1-4
All remain seated for
The Sermon
The Very Reverend David Monteith, Dean of Leicester
All remain seated as the Dean leads
Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
all are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek
to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
all are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
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The Prayer
Grant us, Lord God,
a vision of our land as your love would make it;
a land where the weak are protected,
and none go hungry or poor;
a land where the beneﬁts of life are shared
and everyone can enjoy them;
a land where peace is built with justice,
and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it.
Amen.
St Martin-in-the-Fields, London
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3. New Life
Let us build a house where hands will reach
beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach,
and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger
bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
all are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
All remain seated as Canon Hazel, Baroness Byford DBE DL,
Chairman of Leicester Cathedral Council, reads
O Rex Gentium
O King of our desire whom we despise,
King of the nations never on the throne,
unfound foundation, cast-off cornerstone,
rejected joiner, making many one:
you have no form or beauty for our eyes,
a King who comes to give away his crown,
a King within our rags of ﬂesh and bone.
We pierce the ﬂesh that pierces our disguise,
for we ourselves are found in you alone.
Come to us now and ﬁnd in us your throne,
O King within the child within the clay,
O hidden King who shapes us in the play
of all creation. Shape us for the day
your coming Kingdom comes into its own.
Two Oaks (AM365)
words and music by Marty Haugen (b.1950)
All remain standing as the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, leads
The Greeting
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
Malcolm Guite (b.1957)
from Sounding the Seasons
Matthew 4.17b
The Bishop welcomes the Congregation and introduces the Service.
All remain seated as members of Curve Theatre perform
O King enthroned on high,
ﬁlling the earth with your glory:
holy is your name,
Lord God almighty.
Part 3:
DNA, Dance and Repose
A child uses their DNA to unlock the door to a magniﬁcent room, as technology opens
up a direct link to our shared histories. As a cloth is removed from the tomb, an image of
birth and new life is created and a swaddled babe-in-arms is passed protectively between
our community participants. Roses surrounding the tomb are attached to the sculpture,
dressing its aggressive stalks with colour and new life. Once the sculpture is complete and
the tomb unveiled, we dance in celebration, in a variety of styles, reﬂecting the diversity
of our city and our commitment to build more colourful and peaceful society than existed
during the Wars of the Roses.
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Trusting in the coming of God’s kingdom,
let us pray as Jesus has taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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1. Conﬂict
All sit as Councillor Manjula Sood MBE, Chair of the Leicester Council of Faiths
and representing the life of the City of Leicester, reads
Genesis 4.2b-16
What quiet joy can bloom and grow
when people work for peace,
when hands and voices join as one
that hate and war may cease.
St Botolph (CP238)
Gordon Slater (1896-1979)
Ruth Duck (b.1947)
based on Psalm 133
A reading from the Book of Genesis.
Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time
Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part
brought of the ﬁrstlings of his ﬂock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel
and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry,
and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your
countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well,
sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’
Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the ﬁeld.’ And when they were in the
ﬁeld, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain,
‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And
the Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from
the ground! And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to
receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer
yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.’ Cain said
to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away
from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer
on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Not
so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.’ And the Lord put a mark on
Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him. Then Cain went away from the
presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
All sit as the Reverend Canon Alison Adams leads
The Responsory
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is King;
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Tell out his salvation from day to day;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples;
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
from Psalm 96
No response is made.
All remain seated as members of Curve Theatre perform
Part I:
Cars and Civil Wars
A woman goes to work, parking her car in the same spot for years. This insigniﬁcant
rectangular block of tarmac suddenly becomes an area of intense interest and speculation:
could the last English King to die in battle be buried under a car park in Leicester? News
of this unprecedented event spreads through our city. An image of a leader is then
created. With power comes opposition. Dividing lines are quickly drawn and peace is
shattered, creating a bloody conﬂict between different factions of society.
During this performance the Organist plays parts of:
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Jésus accepte la souffrance
Jesus accepts suffering
Interspersed with contemporary music by Rob Heslop of Curve Theatre (1991).
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All remain seated as the Canon Chancellor leads
All remain seated as the Reverend Canon Rosy Fairhurst, Canon Chancellor, leads
The Collect
The Collect
O good Jesus,
Word of the Father and
brightness of his glory,
whom angels desire to behold:
teach us to do your will
that, guided by your Spirit,
we may come to that blessed city of everlasting day,
where all are one in heart and mind,
where there is safety and eternal peace,
happiness and delight,
where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
world without end.
Amen.
O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish,
and those whose names we will never know.
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past,
may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope,
now and for ever.
Amen.
All remain seated as the Reverend Canon Alison Adams,
Diocese and Cathedral Social Responsibility Enabler, leads
after Gregory the Great (c.540-604)
The Responsory
alongside which the Choir sings Kyrie Eleison
All stand to sing
The kingdom is yours,
but we turn away from your just rule.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
The Hymn
The power is yours,
but we trust in our own power and strength.
Choir: Christ, have mercy.
How good it is, what pleasure comes,
when people live as one.
When peace and justice light the way
the will of God is done.
The glory is yours,
but we fall short of the glory of God.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Charles Paterson (b.1954)
from The Bells of St Martin’s Communion Service
True friendship then like fragrant oil
surrounds us with delight;
and blessings shine like morning dew
upon the mountain height.
How good it is when walls of fear
come tumbling to the ground.
When arms are changed to farming tools
the fruits of life abound.
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2. New Beginnings
All stand to sing
All sit as Henry Avery, representing the County of Leicestershire, reads
The Hymn
Isaiah 2.2-4
A reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah.
In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of
the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many
peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He
shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
God of grace and God of glory,
on thy people pour thy power;
now fulﬁl thy church’s story;
bring her bud to glorious ﬂower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour.
No response is made.
All remain seated as members of Curve Theatre perform
Part 2:
Lo, the hosts of evil round us
scorn thy Christ, assail his ways;
from the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days.
Peace and Reconciliation
In homage to those left at home during conﬂicts, and in particular reﬂecting on the First
World War, women nurse injured soldiers, husbands, sons, brothers and lovers. Postwar, society starts to rebuild itself. The weapons used for war now help to build a huge
structure (Unearth, designed by Matthew Wright), recognising all those who have lost life,
in past and current conﬂicts. The sun at the top of the sculpture, made up of hundreds of
fresh roses, celebrates collaboration and future discoveries.
Cure thy children’s warring madness,
bend our pride to thy control;
shame our wanton selﬁsh gladness,
rich in goods and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.
During this performance the Choir sings
The Anthem
O Radiant Dawn
Set our feet on lofty places,
gird our lives that they may be
armoured with all Christlike graces
in the ﬁght till all be free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
that we fail not earth nor thee.
Neander (CP409)
Melody set to Unser Herrscher in Alpha und Omega
Joachim Neander (1650-1680)
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O Radiant Dawn, Splendour of eternal Light, Sun of Justice:
come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Isaiah had prophesied,
‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone.’ Amen.
Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)
James MacMillan (b.1959)
O Oriens (Antiphon for 21 December);
Isaiah 9.2
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