Services at St Stephen’s
Advent 2025 to Date
Archives: 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20
St Stephen’s has been at the centre of its community for over 900 years, and remains so today. Our mission is to equip God’s people through thoughtful worship, warm fellowship, and enriching teaching. We are a church with a thriving robed choir of an excellent standard. If you are 9 months or 90 years old, or anywhere in between, we look forward to welcoming you!
| Sunday | 10.30am | Sung Eucharist * |
| 6.00pm | Choral Evensong * | |
| Wednesday | 10.00am | Holy Communion (said) |
Lectionary Year A
The Second Sunday before Lent
Sunday 8th February 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: Ave verum corpus – Byrd
Hymns: 265, 349, 466, 305, 258
Voluntary: Fantasia and Fugue in a minor BWV 561 – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Sexagesima; sung by the Sopranos & Altos
Responses: Wilby ‘Ripon’
Psalm 148
Canticles: Set D
Anthem: Fairest Lord Jesus – Silesian folk song arr. How
Hymns: 336, 397
Voluntary: Prelude & Fugue in a minor – J. S. Bach
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
Sunday 1st February 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: When to the temple Mary went – Eccard
Hymns: 33* (last verse CfC2), 156 (t. 149ii), 157, 280*, ‘Christ be our light’
Nunc Dimittis: Sumsion in A
Voluntary: Toccata – Dubois
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Ferial
Psalms 122 & 132
Canticles: Set C
Anthem: Hail, gladdening light – Stainer
Hymns: 156 (t. 149ii), ‘Angels from the realms of glory’
Voluntary: Light of the nations – Moore
The Conversion of Paul
Sunday 25th January 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: Give us the wings of faith – Bullock
Hymns: 486, 51, 155, 275, 216 (t. 433)
Voluntary: Toccata in Seven – Rutter
6.00pm Choral Evensong Sung by the Tenors & Basses
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 119 vv. 41–56
Canticles: Benson
Anthem: Christe Redemptor Omnium –Montiverdi
Hymns: 154i, 376
Voluntary: Adagio in E – Bridge
The Second Sunday of Epiphany
Sunday 18th January 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: The Lamb – Tavener
Hymns: 332*, 343, 271, 294, ‘Will you come and follow me’
Voluntary: Fugue in G major BWV 576 – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Ferial
Psalm 96
Canticles: Set B
Anthem: Listen, sweet dove – Ives
Hymns: 54ii, 51
Voluntary: Processional – Ives
The Baptism of Christ
Sunday 11th January 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: Tomorrow shall be my dancing day – Gardner
Hymns: 352, 58, 55, 274, 56*
Voluntary: Noël – Daquin
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Ferial
Psalms 46 & 47
Canticles: Set A
Anthem: In the bleak mid-winter – Darke
Hymns: +109, +193
Voluntary: Variations on ‘King Jesus had a garden’ – Peeters
The Epiphany
Sunday 4th January 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: There shall a star – Mendelssohn
Hymns: 47, 49, 52, 40, 36
Voluntary: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern – Buxtehude
6.00pm Said Evening Prayer
Unfortunately it won’t be possible to live stream this service.
Holy Innocents
Sunday 28th December 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: Mass of St Thomas – Thorne
During Communion: Coventy Carol
Hymns: 33 (omit *), 23, 25, 39
Christmas Day
Thursday 25th December 2025
10.30am Festal Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
During Communion: Choir carols
Hymns: 30 (omit vs. 4), 21, 28, 22 (CfC1 p2), 26 (omit vs.4; CfC1 p39)
Voluntary: Toccata from Symphony V – Widor
Christmas Eve
Wednesday 24th December 2025
10.00pm Midnight Mass
Setting: Mass of St Thomas – Thorne
Hymns: 34, 29, 32 (omit vs. 4), 35, 30 (omit vs. 4)
Voluntary: Chorale Prelude on ‘In dulci jubilo’ (BWV 729) – J. S. Bach
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday 21st December 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: The Angel Gabriel – Trad. Besancon Carol. arr. Petman
Hymns: 11, 15, 185, 295, 10
Voluntary: Advent reflections – Bonighton
6.00pm Service of Lessons and Carols for Christmas
The Third Sunday of Advent
Sunday 14th December 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: Adam lay y’bounden – Ord
Hymns: 6, 170ii, 16, 18, 7
Voluntary: Wake, O wake – Marsh
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 50 vv. 1–6
Magnificat: Morley fauxbourdons
Nunc dimittis: Morley fauxbourdons
Anthem:
Hymns: 2, ‘Hark, what a sound’ (t. NEH 320i)
Voluntary: Prelude on ‘Come, thou long expected Jesus’ – Setchell
The Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday 7th December 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: People, look East – Besancon carol melody, arr. Shaw
Hymns: 5, 12, 14, 308, 388i
Voluntary: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (BWV 601) – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Sung by the Tenors and Basses
Responses: Plainsong Psalm 75
Magnificat: Plainchant tone vi
Nunc dimittis: Plainchant tone iv-4
Anthem: The Advent Prose – Plainchant (ed. Cleobury)
Hymns: 1i , 8 (t. 128ii)
Voluntary: Rorate Caeli Choral orne – Demessieux
The First Sunday of Advent
Sunday 30th November 2025
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: St Anne’s Mass – MacMillan
Anthem: The truth from above – trad. English carol, arr. Vaughan Williams
Hymns: 11, 3ii, 7, 298, 9
Voluntary: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 645) – J. S. Bach
6.00pm ‘From Darkness to Light’ — A Service for Advent
The Advent Antiphons
I look from afar – adapted from a Magnificat by Palestrina
A tender shoot – Goldschmidt
O thou the central orb – Wood
O Radiant Dawn – MacMillan
Dismissal – Barker
Hymns 19 (omit vv. 5 & 7), 7, 12, ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’, 9
Voluntary: Toccata on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ – Carter