The great Christmas Carol Service has become so popular and widespread that it throws out a great blaze of light over the darkest weeks of the year that lead up to the celebration of the Incarnation.
But amongst the festivity and joy it is easy to lose the darker message of those days: that Christ came into the world but the world did not receive him. There is an ambiguity in the season of Advent which is caught by the Authorized Version of St Johns Gospel: and the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. The Greek verb has two meanings: the darkness did not understand the light; but neither did it overcome it.
The story of the waxing and waning of light finds its beginning in Advent, and in the Advent Procession which celebrates it.
Running time: 60 minutes 50 seconds
Director: Peter Wright
Organist: Stephen Disley
Recorded: 2000
| 1 | 02:27 | Hymn: Creator of the stars of night | Anonymous |
| 2 | 01:01 | Bidding prayer | Anonymous |
| 3 | 02:48 | This is the truth sent from above | Vaughan Williams |
| 4 | 01:36 | Reading: Genesis 3, 8-15 | Anonymous |
| 5 | 02:36 | Remember, O thou man | Ravenscroft |
| 6 | 03:54 | Chorale Prelude: Wachet auf, BWV 645 | Bach |
| 7 | 01:48 | Reading: Isaiah 45, 2-8 | Anonymous |
| 8 | 01:35 | O nata lux de lumine | Tallis |
| 9 | 02:23 | I said to the man | Maxim |
| 10 | 01:32 | Reading: Isaiah 9, 2-7 | Anonymous |
| 11 | 02:19 | People, look East | Bramma |
| 12 | 01:54 | Hosanna to the Son of David | Weelkes |
| 13 | 01:43 | Reading: Luke 1, 26-34 | Anonymous |
| 14 | 08:30 | Salutatio angelica | Moore |
| 15 | 01:05 | Reading: Luke 1, 39-47 | Anonymous |
| 16 | 00:45 | Advent antiphon: O Emmanuel | Anonymous |
| 17 | 03:56 | Magnificat in G | Stanford |
| 18 | 00:45 | Advent Antiphon: O Emmanuel | Anonymous |
| 19 | 01:01 | Reading: Luke 1, 57-61a | Anonymous |
| 20 | 03:53 | This is the record of John | Gibbons |
| 21 | 00:48 | Advent Collect | Anonymous |
| 22 | 00:26 | Blessing | Anonymous |
| 23 | 02:12 | E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come | Manz |
| 24 | 04:41 | Hymn: Lo, he comes with clouds descending | Anonymous |
| 25 | 03:49 | Toccata-Prelude on ‘Vom Himmel hoch’ |
Edmundson |