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 Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday)
Sunday 15th March 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Hadleigh Service – Ridout
Anthem: For the beauty of the earth – Rutter
Hymns: 206, ‘Jesus Christ is waiting’, ‘Brother, sister, let me serve you’, 297, 420
Voluntary: Fugue on the Magnificat BWV733 – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 31 vv. 1–16
Canticles: Morley Fauxbourdons
Anthem: Nolo mortem pecatoris – Morley
Hymns: 69, 74
The Third Sunday of Lent
Sunday 8th March 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Hadleigh Service – Ridout
Anthem: Let thy merciful ears – Mudd
Hymns: 374, 62, 73, 292ii, 357
Voluntary: Chorale Prelude ‘Erbarm dich mein, O herre Gott’ BWV 721 – J. S. Bach
6.00pm Choral Evensong
Remembering Lady Loretta, 13th century Anchoress at St Stephen’s Church
Responses: Plainsong
Psalms 40
Canticles: Plainsong
Anthem: Lead me, Lord – Wesley
Hymns: ‘Brother, sister, let me serve you’ (A&M 604), 420
Voluntary: Aus tiefer not schrei ich zu dir – Reger
The Second Sunday of Lent
Sunday 1st March 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Hadleigh Service – Ridout
Anthem: Wash me throughly – S. S. Wesley
Hymns: 364 (t. 408i), 84, 378, 308, 485
Voluntary: Praembulum spura Jesu, meine freude – Krebs
6.00pm Choral Evensong Sung by the Tenors & Basses
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 135 vv. 1–14
Canticles: Plainsong
Anthem: The Lent Prose – Plainsong
Hymns: 59ii, 62
Voluntary: Trio on Attende, Domine – Sarah MacDonald
The First Sunday of Lent
Sunday 22nd April 2026
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Hadleigh Service – Ridout
Anthem: Lord, for thy tender mercy’s sake –Hilton/Farrant
Hymns: 67, 64, 414, 273 (t. 302), 383ii (omit *)
Voluntary: Toccata on Aberystwyth – Bednall
6.00pm Choral Evensong for Peace
Responses: Plainsong
Psalm 50 vv. 1–15
Canticles: Plainsong
Anthem: A Prayer for Ukraine – Mykola Lysenko
Hymns: ‘Make me a channel of your peace’, ‘Put peace into each other’s hands’ (A&M 566), ‘God of freedom, God of justice’ (A&M 559)
Voluntary:Wine of Peace – Camileri
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 18th April 2026
10.00am Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes
7.30pm Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes
Introit: Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts – Purcell
Setting: Canterbury Mass – Piccolo
Litany – Piccolo
Anthem: Lord, for thy tender mercy’s sake –Hilton/Farrant
Hymns: 67, 64, 70i, 76
Voluntary: Postlude on ‘Southwell’ – Bullard
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: The Canterbury Service – Barker
Anthem: O nata lux – Jolliffe
Hymns: 234 (t. ‘Christ’s Glory’), 178, 389, 307, ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine’
Voluntary: Nun danket alle Gott – Karg-Elert
6.00pm Evening Prayer (Common Worship)
Apologies, but we are unable to live-stream our evening service this week.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
10.30am Sung Eucharist
Setting: Mass of St Thomas – Thorne
During Communion: Coventy Carol
Hymns: 33 (omit *), 23, 25, 39
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
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
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
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
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
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