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A Diocesan Service of Choral Evensong
A Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the 350th Anniversary of the Restoration Book of Common Prayer was held in the Cathedral Church of St Macartin, Enniskillen, on the Second Sunday before Advent, Sunday 18th November 2012.
At the service the Revd Canon Bryan Kerr was formally admitted and acknowledged as a Canon of the Chapter of the Cathedral Churches of St Macartan, Clogher and St Macartin, Enniskillen.
The service celebrated the beauty of the tradition and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and combined excerpts from The Order for Evening Prayer, The Order for the Administration of The Lord's Supper and The Litany along with other much loved prayers. The Readings were from the Authorised Version.
It drew on elements which have been much beloved by generations of faithful worshippers who have been comforted and inspired by words which, through regular use, deeply ingrain themselves in the heart and mind.
Hymns of a similar period were also chosen for the service, the processional hymn was Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
The service was led by the Dean of Clogher, the Very Revd Kenneth Hall, and sung by the Precentor, the Revd Canon Noel Regan. The Preces and Responses were from the setting by Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585). The Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 6 was preceded by Psalm 95, Venite, and followed by Magnificat. The New Testament lesson was from Philippians 4, and was followed by Nunc Dimittis. Following the collects, the Revd Alistair Warke, Diocesan Curate, read The Third Exhortation from Holy Communion.
The hymn Ye holy angels bright preceded the sermon which was delivered by Professor Stephen Ellis BA, MA, PhD, DLitt, MRIA, FRHistS, Professor of History, Head of the School of Humanities NUI Galway, and also a Diocesan Reader in the United Diocese of Tuam, kIllala and Achnory. The Litany, led by the Precentor, was followed by the hymn Before the ending of the day. The Bishop, the Rt Revd John McDowell, sang the blessing and the final hymn was Now thank we all our God. Everyone was invited for refreshments in the Cathedral Hall following the service.
Dean Kenneth Hall Canon Bryan Kerr Bishop John McDowell with Churchwardens
Prof. Steven Ellis Bishop John McDowell and Dean Kenneth Hall with Churchwardens