On Christmas eve we celebrated the first mass of Christmas with our service starting at 11 pm. The church was now decorated with gold and white for the festival and the flowers now reflected this with golden flowers added to the greenery. The white candle in the center of the advent ring was lit, and in the liturgy the Gloria was once again sung. The church was full, and the service full of joy. The choir sang 'Oh Little on Sweet' and the Sussex Carol after communion, and we closed with Hark the Herald Angels sing. Leaving the church on an amazingly mild night we wished each other happy Christmas.

This morning we started our Mattins service by lighting the fourth Advent Candle on our Advent wreath. On this Sunday in Advent we turn out thoughts from the second coming of Our Lord to the events of his birth. We think particularly of Our Lady St Mary, and her reaction to the news from the Angel that she would give birth to Our Saviour. In his sermon Father Stephen reflected on the differences in the 2 Gospels with a nativity narrative, St Matthew and St Luke. St Luke was more concerned with the role of women and the coming of Our Lord to the poor and ordinary people, St Matthew was more engaged in the royal credentials of the tiny baby and his position as the long awaited Messiah. We learn from both these views as we await the commemoration of his birth next week.

The Choir sang 'The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came' based on a Basque carol setting by Pettman, as the Anthem.

During this service we were delighted that James one of our Junior Choristers was presented with his light blue ribbon.






At 6pm we held our Service of 9 Lessons and Carols. The Church had been beautifully decorated with greenery, the Christmas Tree was up and lit and the church was lit by candles as we came in. The church rapidly filled up with families coming to start their Christmas and to sing some traditional carols and to hear again the story of the Birth of Christ. Our service follows the traditional form, with readers from the Church and Community in turn. We opened with Once in Royal David's City, with the first verse sung unaccompanied from the Organ loft by Lucy, our Head Chorister, and Amy, the choir and congregation then joined in. The first lesson was read by another junior chorister, Emily.
The Choir sang
Adam lay ybounden Setting by Peter Warlock,
The Holly and the Ivy Setting by John Gardner,
 This Christmas Night words Mary Wilson Setting Malcolm Williamson,
A Spotless Rose Words Traditional Setting Hubert Howells,
Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day, traditional setting David Willcocks,
King Herod and the Cock,  words traditional setting William Walton and
The Three Kings words and music by Peter Cornelius, arranged by Ivor Atkins.

We were delighted to be joined again by our friend Peter Webster as the Baritone soloist in The Spotless Rose, Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day, King Herod and the Cock and The Three Kings.

The congregation joined the choir to sing:
O come o come Emmanuel,
Long ago Prophets knew,
It came upon the midnight clear,
While Shepherds watched their flocks by night,
The First Nowell,
and the service finished with a rousing rendition of O come all ye faithful.

The Organ Voluntary was the Choral prelude 'in dulci jubilo' BWV 729 JS Bach

A splendid start to our Christmas celebrations.

Our 10 am Eucharist was celebrated by Father Stephen, we opened the service by lighting the third candle sof the Advent wreath, which reminds us of John the Baptist. In his sermon Father Stephen spoke about John, being in prison and sending his followers to as Jesus if he was the one of whom the Prophets spoke. We know now that indeed he is the Messiah, and we await his return.
The choir sang a communion hymn, and there was coffee after the service.

In the Afternoon the Sunday School had a sale of home made sweets, which took place in the Church. Also on display were a large number of cribs from all over the world and in different styles. at 4pm  Sally Pomme Clayton told stories of Mary. The whole afternoon was greatly enjoyed by everyone.

This has been a busy weekend at St Mary our Lady! On Saturday afternoon we held our Christmas Fair in the Church Hall. A very busy 2 hours of customers for the stalls and refreshments resulted in a healthy profit, only slightly down on last year! Well done to every one involved in a lovely festive fair!

This morning our 10 am service was, as the first Sunday in the month our Family Service. We were joined by the children of Sidlesham County Primary School, and this was also our Christingle service.
The Sunday School children made a presentation about Advent, the Primary School Choir sang, the Christingles were lit and handed out, and the Christingle hymn was sung. Then before the peace, a new junior chorister Maggie was admitted to the Choir, and Lucy was presented as the Head Chorister, after which the Junior Choristers accompanied by Joanna Chivers-Gibbs on the piano and with 2 members of the adult choir, sang 'Lead me Lord'.

During Communion the whole Choir sang 'How beautiful upon the Mountains'  words from Isaiah  music by John Stainer (1840-1901) as the anthem. There was coffee after the service.

The first Sunday of the new church year and we opened our 10am Eucharist with the Palestrina Matin Responsory sung by the Choir. Our service continued with the lighting of the first candle on our

Advent wreath, and then we continued with the form of the Eucharist for Advent, omitting the Gloria. Father Stephen spoke in his sermon of our need to wait and be prepared for the second coming, which will come when no one expects it, as well as looking forward to the approaching festival of Christmas.
During Communion the Choir sang 'This is the truth sent from above' setting by R Vaughn-Williams.

There was coffee after the service.

In the afternoon we had our traditional afternoon of making Advent Wreaths and tea in the church hall. the wreathes were gathered together at the end of the afternoon and blessed by Father Stephen. then we had a splendid tea before setting off home with our wreathes. This was a splendid occasion many thanks to Anwyl, Janet, Chris, Anne and Marilyn for the organisation and the tea.

Next Saturday afternoon is the Christmas Fair, come along and buy your christmas present or enjoy some refreshments! On the 11th of December in the afternoon the Sunday School is holding a charity sale, a display of Christmas cribs from all over the world, and a wonderful story teller will finish off the afternoon, do come along to the Church for this event

We arrived for the 10 o'clock Mattins service as the overnight storm 'Angus' began to abate. This is the last Sunday of the Church's year and we reflect on Our Lord in his glory. This was taken up in the Anthem sung by the choir ,O thou central orb.
There was coffee after the service.

Next Sunday is Advent Sunday, the first day of the new liturgical year, in the afternoon we shall be making Advent Wreaths in the Church Hall, do sign up for this lovley occasion at the back of the church, or contact the Church Wardens.


Also put a note in your diary that the christmas fair is on Saturday 3rd of December in the Church Hall!

For our Family Service this month we celebrated All Saints Sunday. We sang some traditional All Saints hymns, and Father Stephen told us how the Saints are in Heaven rooting for us when we need support! The Sunday School Children looked at the Beatitudes, as described by St Luke in the Gospel reading, and bought them up to date for us! The Junior Choristers sang together 'Mathew,  Mark, Luke and John' by Lindley as a special item. Father Stephen invested Seth and Emily with their dark blue ribbons in a special ceremony before the offertory hymn.
During communion the Choir sang 'Give us the wings of Faith' by  Bullock as the anthem. there was coffee after the service.

This morning our service was a Eucharist, celebrated by Father Stephen. October is a month with 5 Sundays, so the choir sang the Sanctus, Benedictus and the Agnus Dei from the setting by Darke in F. The Gospel reading was from St Luke and was the story of Zacchaeus, who was too short to see Our Lord over the crowds and climbed a Sycamore tree. Our Lord called him down and went to his house, where he gave up his life to follow the teachings of Jesus, 'for the Son of Man has come to seek out the lost'. Father Stephen enlarged on this theme in his sermon, of how lives can be changed in an instant.

The Choir sang Ave Verum corpus in the setting by Byrd as the Anthem. There was coffee after the service.



At 6:00pm we held our now traditional Eucharist of Remembrance for the Souls of the Departed. The names of those to be remembered were placed on the altar by Father Stephen, and the Choir, supplemented by guest singers sang the setting of the Requiem by Faure, in its liturgical context. The congregation were also given an opportunity to light candles of remembrance during  the distribution of communion. The Baritone Soloist was Peter Webster, who also conducted the Choir. The Soprano Soloist was Sarah Amos, and the Director of Music and Organist was Joanna Chivers-Gibbs. It was a wonderful solemn and beautiful occasion for this season of All Souls.Many thanks to Peter and Sarah for their wonderful singing, and to Joanna for all the organisation, rehearsal and playing.






Coming into view on the horizon is Advent, and we shall have our Advent Ring making afternoon in the Church Hall  on Advent Sunday the 27th of November. To be followed the next weekend by the Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd of December, Dates for your Diary!