Compline in time of coronavirus: 3. Fifth Sunday of Lent

The Compline Choir, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, March 29, 2020

While St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle,  is closed to large gatherings, the Office of Compline is sung by a small contingent of choir members to an empty cathedral. Those singing the service are observing strict health precautions including the appropriate social distancing; members over 60 and others vulnerable to contagion are not invited to sing.

The Compline Underground (which originates from Seattle) is now issuing links to the Compline Service together with the texts of the music sung, as well as many of the texts of the unchanging parts of the Office. After the broadcast, the video stream link will change to the archived link, and when the podcast is available, that link will be activated.

To continue to see the words below, and the broadcast or video stream at the same time in another window, just right-click on the link, and select “Open link in new window.”

Live Broadcast            (The service has now concluded; use the Video Stream Archive link).

Live Video Stream

Podcast                       (This will link to the Podcast when it is released – 1 or 2 days after the service).

Video Stream Archive  (now pointing to YouTube)

Compline for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

A short passage of scripture is read.

ORISON: By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered (Tune: Intercessor) – Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)

          – Translation by Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000), after Von guten Mächten by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). Note: The translation is Copyright © 1974 by Hope Publishing Co.

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,
and confidently waiting, come what may,
we know that God is with us night and morning
and never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented,
still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;
O give our frightened souls the sure salvation
for which, O Lord, you taught us to prepare.

And when this cup you give is filled to brimming
with bitter suffering, hard to understand,
we take it thankfully and without trembling,
out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world you give us
the joy we had, the brightness of your sun,
we shall remember all the days we lived through,
and our whole life shall then be yours alone.

PREPARATION

READER: The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
CHOIR: Amen.

READER: Beloved in Christ, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith. [I Peter 5: 8, 9a]

READER: But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Thanks be to God.

READER: Our help is in the name of the Lord
CHOIR: who hath made heaven and earth.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

READER: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
CHOIR: We confess to God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, through our own grievous fault. Wherefore we pray God to have mercy upon us.

CHOIR: Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us all our sins and deliver us from all evil, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to life everlasting. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

READER: May the almighty and merciful Lord grant unto us pardon and remission of all our sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit.
CHOIR: Amen.

The following is chanted.

CANTOR: O God, make speed to save us;
CHOIR: O Lord, make haste to help us.

CANTOR: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
CHOIR: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

CANTOR: Praise ye the Lord;
CHOIR: The Lord’s name be praiséd.

PSALM 130 – Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014)

Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?

For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.

I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the LORD, more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;

With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The READER offers the following lesson:

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
[Matthew 11:28-30]

CHOIR: Thanks be to God.

The following Respond is chanted (sung in a polyphonic setting on Palm Sunday):

CANTOR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
CHOIR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTOR: For thou hast redeeméd me, O Lord, thou God of truth;
CHOIR: I commend my spirit.

CANTOR: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
CHOIR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

The READER announces the hymn to be sung.

HYMN: Out of the depths I call (Tune: Saint Bride) – Samuel Howard (1710-1782) and Geoffrey Shaw (1879-1943)

Out of the depths I call,
to God I send my cry;
Lord, hear my supplicating voice
and graciously reply.

My soul with patience waits
for thee, the living Lord,
my hopes are on thy promise built,
thy never failing word.

My longing eyes look out
for thy enlivening ray,
more duly than the morning watch
to spy the dawning day.

SHORT RESPOND

CANTOR: Keep me as the apple of an eye;
CHOIR: Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

NUNC DIMITTIS: Plainsong setting, Tone V.1

ANTIPHON: Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping;
that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: * according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. * which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
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.

THE APOSTLES CREED

CANTOR: I believe in God,
CHOIR: the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

CANTOR: Lord, have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Christ, have mercy upon us.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Lord’s Prayer and the following versicles and responses are intoned:

CANTOR: Our Father,
CHOIR: 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. Amen.

CANTOR: Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers;
CHOIR: To be praised and glorified above all for ever.

CANTOR: Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;
CHOIR: Let us praise him and magnify him for ever.

CANTOR: Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven;
CHOIR: To be praised and glorified above all for ever.

CANTOR: The Almighty and merciful Lord guard us and give us his blessing.
CHOIR: Amen.

CANTOR: Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us;
CHOIR: That thy people may rejoice in thee?

CANTOR: O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us;
CHOIR: And grant us thy salvation.

CANTOR: Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin;
CHOIR: O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

CANTOR: O Lord, hear our prayer;
CHOIR: And let our cry come unto thee.

CANTOR: Let us pray.

At least three but not more than five prayers (or collects) are intoned by the CANTOR. The first collect is proper to the day. Other collects offered address the needs and concerns of the choir, or local or global community. The final collect is chosen from the following:

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may repose upon thy eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Or

Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this place, and drive from it all the snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace; and may thy blessing be upon us evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Or, on Palm Sunday,

O Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, who at this evening hour didst rest in the sepulchre, and didst thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed of hope to thy people; Make us so to abound in sorrow for our sins, which were the cause of thy passion, that when our bodies lie in the dust, our souls may live with thee; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

The READER announces the anthem to be sung. 

ANTHEM: Lamentations of Jeremiah – Jacob Arcadelt (c. 1507-1568)

Anthem text from Lamentations 1:7 and 2:14
Zain: Jerusalem remembered, in the days of her affliction and of her miseries, all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her. The adversaries saw her and did mock at her sabbaths.

Nun:  The prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee; and they have not exposed thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity, but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn thee to the Lord thy God.

FINAL RESPONSES and BLESSING

The CHOIR sings the final versicles and responses, using a setting composed by Peter Hallock in 1956, the year of the Compline Choir’s founding:

CANTOR: We will lay us down in peace and take our rest:
CHOIR: For it is thou, Lord, only that makest us to dwell in safety.

CANTOR: The Lord be with you:
CHOIR: And with thy spirit.

CANTOR: Let us bless the Lord:
CHOIR: Thanks be to God.

The closing blessing is spoken:

READER: The Almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, bless and preserve us.
CHOIR: Amen.

Compline in time of coronavirus: 2. Fourth Sunday of Lent: Laetare

The Compline Choir, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, March 22, 2020.

While St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle,  is closed to large gatherings, the Office of Compline is sung by a small contingent of choir members to an empty cathedral. Those singing the service are observing strict health precautions including the appropriate social distancing; members over 60 and others vulnerable to contagion are not invited to sing.

The Compline Underground (which originates from Seattle) is now issuing links to the Compline Service together with the texts of the music sung, as well as many of the texts of the unchanging parts of the Office. After the broadcast, the video stream link will change to the archived link, and when the podcast is available, that link will be activated.

To continue to see the words below, and the broadcast or video stream at the same time in another window, just right-click on the link, and select “Open link in new window.”

Live Broadcast on king.org   (The service has ended. Links to Video Stream Archive and Podcast links will be active when available.)

Live Video Stream

Podcast

Video Stream Archive

Compline for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

BIDDING WORDS

ORISON: Now as the troubled day departs – M. Searle Wright (1918-2004)

Now as the troubled day departs,
Be thou, O God, within our hearts.
And grant our wearied spirits rest
Within thy heart, O Savior blest.

Give peace and calm to all this night,
Throughout the encircling darkness, light.
May we by thy great presence awed,
Be still, and know that thou art God.

PREPARATION

READER: The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
CHOIR: Amen.

READER: Beloved in Christ, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith.

READER: But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Thanks be to God.

READER: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
CHOIR: who hath made heaven and earth.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

CANTOR: O God, make speed to save us;
CHOIR: O Lord, make haste to help us.

CANTOR: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
CHOIR: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

CANTOR: Praise ye the Lord;
CHOIR: The Lord’s name be praiséd.

PSALM 23 (Setting I) – Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014)

[EDITORIAL NOTE: This setting of Psalm 23, from 1987,  pre-dates the more commonly sung setting by just six months.
and was unknown until found in a stack of music atop Hallock’s piano after his death.]

ANTIPHON: I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The LORD is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

THE LESSON

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

THE RESPOND

CANTOR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
CHOIR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTOR: For thou hast redeeméd me, O Lord, thou God of truth;
CHOIR: I commend my spirit.

CANTOR: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
CHOIR: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

OFFICE HYMN: To you before the close of day (Tune: Te lucis ante terminum) – Plainsong, Mode VIII

To you before the close of day,
Creator of all things, we pray
that, in your constant clemency,
our guard and keeper you would be.

Save us from troubled, restless sleep;
from all ill dreams your children keep.
So calm our minds that fears may cease
and rested bodies wake in peace.

A healthy life we ask of you:
the fire of love in us renew,
and when the dawn new light will bring,
your praise and glory we shall sing.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, most high,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
forever and for evermore.

SHORT RESPOND

CANTOR: Keep me as the apple of an eye;
CHOIR: Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

NUNC DIMITTIS: Plainsong setting, Tone V.1

ANTIPHON: Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping;
that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: * according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. * which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
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.

THE APOSTLES CREED

THE PRAYERS

CANTOR: Lord, have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Christ, have mercy upon us.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy upon us

THE LORD’S PRAYER

VERSICLES AND RESPONSES

COLLECTS by the Cantor

ANTHEM: Lamentations of Jeremiah – Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger (c. 1575-1628)

[EDITORIAL NOTE: The anthem for this evening is a setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by the Elizabethan composer of Italian ancestry, Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger. The text is the first three verses of Lamentation 1, each of which is indicated by appropriate Hebrew letters: aleph ,beth and ghimel. The scripture is preceded by an introduction, and is concluded by a respond appropriate to various offices sung during the liturgies of Holy Week.]

Here beginneth the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah:
Aleph. How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal.
Beth. She weeps bitterly in the night, tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.
Ghimel. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude. She dwells now among the nations but finds no resting place. Her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
(Refrain) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn thee to the Lord thy God.

FINAL RESPONSES (setting by Peter R. Hallock)

CANTOR: We will lay us down in peace and take our rest:
CHOIR: For it is thou, Lord, only that makest us to dwell in safety.

CANTOR: The Lord be with you:
CHOIR: And with thy spirit.

CANTOR: Let us bless the Lord:
CHOIR: Thanks be to God.

[The closing blessing is spoken:]

READER: The Almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, bless and preserve us.
CHOIR: Amen.

Compline in time of coronavirus: 1. Third Sunday of Lent

The Compline Choir, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle – March 15, 2020

On Sunday, March 15, 2020, the Office of Compline at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, was sung by nine choir members and their director, Jason Anderson, to an empty cathedral – due to the closing of schools, churches, and other large gatherings because of coronavirus. It also occasioned the first live streaming of Compline in its 64-year-old history. The choir members singing observed strict health precautions including the appropriate social distancing; members over 60 and others vulnerable to contagion were not invited to sing. It is anticipated that this mode of offering the Office of Compline at St. Mark’s will continue for some time.

In its long history, the Compline Service has always been sung from the back corner of the Cathedral (and away from the direct field of vision of the congregants; thus the focus is not on the choir but upon intentional listening for congregants. Since 1962, when the service was first carried by KING-FM 98.1, and then on the world wide web live through king.org and through podcast at complinepodcast.org, the Compline Service has had a “virtual congregation.” Now, with the Cathedral closed temporarily, the congregation has become by necessity completely “virtual.”

For this reason, the Compline Underground (which originates from Seattle) will issue links to the rebroadcast of the service, enhanced at first with the words to four parts of the service (Orison, Psalm, Hymn, and Anthem), given below. For future rebroadcasts, more of the text of the whole service may be printed. This is offered especially for those who usually attend the service and are now confined to a “virtual” community.

To continue to see the words below, and the podcast or video stream at the same time in another window, just right-click on either the link to the Podcast or the Video Stream, and select “Open link in new window.”

Podcast

Video Stream

(The music for this service was selected with the current situation in mind. A setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah is typically offered as the Anthem during the Sundays of Lent.)

ORISON: O Holy Spirit, by whose breath, life rises (Tune: Veni Creator Spiritus)– Plainsong, Mode VIII

O Holy Spirit, by whose breath, life rises vibrant out of death;
come to create, renew, inspire; come, kindle in our hearts your fire.

You are the seeker’s sure resource, of burning love the living source,
protector in the midst of strife, the giver and the Lord of life.

In you God’s energy is shown, to us your varied gifts make known.
Teach us to speak, teach us to hear; yours is the tongue and yours the ear.

Flood our dull senses with your light; in mutual love our hearts unite.
Your power the whole creation fills; confirm our weak, uncertain wills.

From inner strife grant us release; turn nations to the ways of peace.
To fuller life your people bring that as one body we may sing:

Praise to the Father, Christ, his Word, and to the Spirit: God the Lord,
to whom all honor, glory be both now and for eternity.

PSALM 91 – Plainsong, Tone IV.4

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

He shall say to the LORD,”You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”

He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.

He shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings; *
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;

Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day.

A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, *
but it shall not come near you.

Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,

There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.

Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

HYMN: All who love and serve your city (Tune: Charlestown) – mel. from The Southern Harmony, 1835; harm. Alastair Cassels-Brown (1927-2001), alt., and Jason A. Anderson (b. 1976)

All who love and serve your city, all who bear its daily stress,
all who cry for peace and justice, all who curse and all who bless,

In your day of loss and sorrow, in your day of helpless strife,
honor, peace, and love retreating, seek the Lord, who is your life.

In your day of wealth and plenty, wasted work and wasted play,
call to mind the word of Jesus, “I must work while it is day.”

For all days are days of judgment, and the Lord is waiting still,
drawing near a world that spurns him, offering peace from Calvary’s hill.

Risen Lord! shall yet the city be the city of despair?
Come today, our Judge, our Glory; be its name, “The Lord is there!”

ANTHEM: Lamentations of Jeremiah (Setting I) – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585)

Here beginneth the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah:
Aleph. How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal.
Beth. She weeps bitterly in the night, tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.
(Refrain) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn thee to the Lord thy God.

Compline Choirs Respond to COVID-19

The Compline Choir, St. Mark’s Seattle, 1969. This group numbered fourteen, but only nine will sing Compline to an empty Cathedral starting March 15, 2020.

It’s now a national emergency.

Everyone across the US is responding to the novel coronavirus, but probably nowhere right now are the measures as severe as in the Greater Seattle area, where schools are closed in three counties until April 24, and public gatherings of over 250 people – sporting events, arts venues, and many churches – are now closed.

This includes St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, where Compline has been sung every Sunday night since 1956. However, the office will still be sung (just as in 1956) to an empty cathedral. But unlike those old days before the service was broadcast and hundreds of people started to attend, the service will be carried to the thousands that listen live on the internet and radio, and also, for the first time, the Choir plans to livestream the service. For this and much more news, read the Spring Newsletter from the Compline Choir. And if you miss the service, you can also listen to previous services at complinepodcast.org.

In Nevada City, California, all church services that include large gatherings are also closed, but the Trinity Compline Choirs will sing Compline, also to an empty church. There are a number of choirs of different voicing which began singing the Office of Compline on the first Sunday of the month in May 2009 – these include the women’s choir Voces Angelorum and the male quartet Renaissance Man, which will sing on March 15. They will record the service and hope to make it available at their Facebook site, and invite you to Like their page!

Please add a comment, and tell what YOUR Compline group is doing during these challenging times.