St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge The Diocese of London

The Solemn Eucharist Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 22nd August 2010 at 11 a.m.

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Welcome to St Paul’s Knightsbridge, part of the Diocese of London and a church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. If you are visiting us from another church, please make yourself known to the sidesmen or to one of the clergy after the service. Members of all Christian churches are welcome to share with us in this Eucharist – and those who do not wish to receive the Sacrament are invited to approach the altar at the time of Communion, to receive a blessing. There is a loop system in

the lower parts of the church for the benefit of the hearing-impaired. Hearing

aid users should switch their devices to ‘T’.

During the service a collection will be taken for the work of the church in

this parish, throughout the Diocese of London and further afield. Please use the special envelopes at the end of each pew to maximise your giving through the ‘Giftaid’ scheme.

Members of the congregation are asked to ensure that mobile phones are switched off

(or to silent) and are reminded that the taking of photographs or the making of audio or video recordings during services is prohibited.

Cover image Jesus heals a crippled woman Christoph Weigel (1654-1725)

O R D E R O F S E R V I C E

The Introductory Rite

At 11 a.m. a bell is rung. The Servers and Sacred Ministers enter and process to cense the Altar. All stand to sing:

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T H E E N T R A N C E H Y M N ( t 1 6 7 )

The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is his new creation, by water and the word: from heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride; with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth, her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued. Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war she waits the consummation of peace for evermore; till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blessed, and the great Church victorious shall be the Church at rest.

Words: Samuel John Stone (1839-1900) Music: ‘Aurelia’, S. S. Wesley (1810-76)

T H E G R E E T I N G

When all are in their places the Celebrant says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you and with thy spirit.

T H E P R A Y E R O F P R E P A R A T I O N Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid:

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cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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T H E P R A Y E R S O F P E N I T E N C E

The Celebrant says: My brothers and sisters, as we prepare to celebrate the presence of Christ in word and sacrament, let us call to mind and confess our sins.

All kneel. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against thee and against our neighbour, in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are heartily sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve thee in newness of life to the glory of thy name. Amen.

The Celebrant says: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

We say: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy,

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Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy, All stand:

G L O R I A I N E X C E L S I S D E O

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All remain standing.

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T H E C O L L E C T

The Celebrant introduces a period of silent prayer: Let us pray. Thereafter, he sings: Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

T H E F I R S T R E A D I N G Isaiah 58. 9b-end

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honourable; if you honour it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

At the end: This is the word of the Lord.

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Thanks be to God.

T H E P S A L M O D Y Psalm 103: 1-8

The Cantor sings: Priase the Lord, O my soul : and all that is within me praise his holy Name. Praise the Lord, O my soul : and forget not all his benefits; Who forgiveth all thy sin : and healeth all thine infirmities; Who saveth thy life from destruction : and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things : making thee young and lusty as an eagle. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement : for all them that are oppressed with wrong. He shewed his ways unto Moses : his works unto the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy : long-suffering, and of great goodness.

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T H E S E C O N D R E A D I N G The Letter to the Hebrews 12: 18-end

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

At the end: This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. All stand.

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T H E G R A D U A L H Y M N ( 4 0 7 )

Lord, thy Word abideth, and our footsteps guideth; who its truth believeth light and joy receiveth. When our foes are near us, then thy Word doth cheer us, Word of consolation, message of salvation. When the storms are o’er us, and dark clouds before us, then its light directeth, and our way protecteth. O that we, discerning, its most holy learning, Lord, may love and fear thee, evermore be near thee!

Words: H. W. Baker (1821-77)

Music: ‘Ravenshaw’, medieval German melody ad. by W. H. Monk (1823-89)

T H E G O S P E L A C C L A M A T I O N

The Cantor sings:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. The word of the Lord endures for ever. The word of the Lord is the good news announced to you. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. All turn to face the Gospeller.

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T H E G O S P E L R E A D I N G Luke 13: 10-17

The Gospeller says: The Lord be with you And with thy spirit. Hear the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Luke. Glory be to thee, O Lord. Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to thee, O Christ.

T H E S E R M O N Fr Richard Coles

Curate

Silence is kept.

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T H E C R E E D

All stand with the Celebrant, who says: Let us make affirmation of our faith. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And I believe One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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T H E P R A Y E R S O F I N T E R C E S S I O N

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father. All kneel. Either of the following responses may be used: Lord in thy mercy or Lord, hear us hear our prayer Lord, graciously hear us. For the departed, these words may be used: Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord and let light perpetual shine upon them. May they rest in peace and rise in glory. At the end, a brief period of silence is kept for personal prayer. All say: Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. All sit.

T H E N O T I C E S All stand.

T H E P E A C E

The Celebrant says: We are the body of Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Let us then pursue all that makes for peace and builds up our common life. The peace of the Lord be always with you. and with thy spirit. Let us offer one another a sign of peace. All exchange a sign of peace with those standing close by.

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The Liturgy of the Sacrament

T H E O F F E R T O R Y The gifts of the people are carried to the altar and presented. A collection is taken to support our work, ministry and charitable giving. Please use the Gift Aid envelopes provided, remembering to fill in all the details. The altar is prepared and the gifts of bread and wine, the altar, and the sanctuary party are censed.

T H E C O L L E C T I O N H Y M N ( 357)

Father, hear the prayer we offer: Not for ease that prayer shall be, But for strength that we may ever Live our lives courageously. Not for ever in green pastures Do we ask our way to be; But the steep and rugged pathway May we tread rejoicingly. Not for ever by still waters Would we idly rest and stay; But would smite the living fountains From the rocks along our way. Be our strength in hours of weakness, In our wanderings be our guide; Through endeavour, failure, danger, Father, be thou at our side.

Words: Maria Willis (1824-1908)

Music: ‘Sussex’, English Traditional Melody adapted by Ralph VaughanWilliams (1872-1958)

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T H E O F F E R T O R Y A N T H E M sung by Ed Saklatvala

from ‘Samson’

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Thus when the sun from's wat'ry bed All curtain'd with a cloudy red, Pillows his chin upon an orient wave; The wand'ring shadows ghastly pale, All troop to their infemal jail Each fetter'd ghost slips to his sev'ral grave.

Words: Newburgh Hamilton (1691-1761),

John Milton (1608-74), and the Bible When the Thurifer approaches, all stand to be censed. After being censed, all remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer.

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T H E E U C H A R I S T I C P R A Y E R

The Celebrant sings: All respond:

It is very meet, right and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our Lord. For he is thy living Word; through him thou hast created all things from the beginning, and fashioned us in thine own image. Through him thou didst redeem us from the slavery of sin, giving him to be born of a woman, to die upon the cross, and to rise again for us. Through him thou hast made us a people for thine own possession, exalting him to thy right hand on high, and sending forth through him thy holy and life-giving Spirit. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying: All sing:

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The prayer continues:

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Accept our praises, heavenly Father, through thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and as we follow his example and obey his command, grant that by the power of thy Holy Spirit these gifts of bread and wine may be unto us his body and his blood; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks to thee, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks to thee, he gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me. Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, we remember his offering of himself made once for all upon the cross; we proclaim his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; we look for the coming of his kingdom and with this bread and this cup we make the memorial of Christ, thy Son, our Lord.

The celebrant sings: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith: The people respond: Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again. Accept through him, our great high priest, this our sacrifice of thanks and praise, and as we eat and drink these holy gifts in the presence of thy divine majesty, renew us by thy Holy Spirit, inspire us with thy love, and unite us in the body of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father almighty, world without end. Amen.

T H E L O R D ’ S P R A Y E R All kneel. The Celebrant sings: Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us. All sing:

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T H E F R A C T I O N

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated bread, saying: We break this bread to share in the body of Christ. Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

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A G N U S D E I All sing:

The Sacred Ministers and Servers receive the Holy Communion, followed by the people, beginning with those seated at the front of the Nave. All who normally do so in their own Church are invited to receive the Sacrament. Those who do not wish to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion are invited to approach the altar to receive a blessing, carrying this booklet in their hands as an indication to the Priest.

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T H E G I V I N G O F H O L Y C O M M U N I O N

By way of invitation to receive the Sacrament the Celebrant says: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are called to his supper. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed.

C O M M U N I O N A N T H E M

sung by Ed Saklatvala

If with all your hearts from Elijah

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)

If with all your hearts ye truly seek Me, ye shall ever surely find Me.' Thus saith our God. Oh! that I knew where I might find Him, that I might even come before His presence!

Words: William Bartholomew (1793-1867)

P R A Y E R S A F T E R C O M M U N I O N

The Celebrant introduces a period of silent prayer. Let us pray. Merciful God, who in this holy sacrament hast put away our sins and given us thy healing; grant that as we are made whole in Christ, so we may bring thy healing to this broken world, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty God, we thank thee for feeding us with the body and blood of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Through him we offer thee our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of thy Spirit to live and work to thy praise and glory.

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Amen. All stand.

T H E C O N C L U D I N G H Y M N ( 4 6 6 ) Thou, whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight; hear us, we humbly pray, and, where the Gospel day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light! Thou who didst come to bring on thy redeeming wing healing and sight, heal to the sick in mind, sight to the in-ly blind, O now to all mankind, let there be light! Spirit of truth and love, life-giving holy Dove, speed forth thy flight! Move on the waters' face bearing the gifts of grace, and, in earth's darkest place, let there be light!

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Holy and blessèd Three, glorious Trinity, Wisdom, Love, Might; boundless as ocean's tide, rolling in fullest pride, through the world far and wide, let there be light!

Words: John Marriott (1780-1825)

Tune: ‘Moscow’ adapted from a tune by F. Giardini (1716-96)

All remain standing.

The Concluding Rite

T H E B L E S S I N G & T H E D I S M I S S A L The Celebrant says: The Lord be with you and with thy spirit. The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen Go in the peace of Christ. Thanks be to God. All remain standing as the Servers and Sacred Ministers depart.

ORGAN VOLUNTARY played by Christian Wilson

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THE CHOIR OF ST PAUL’S KNIGHTSBRIDGE

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC Stephen Farr

ASSITANT DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Christian Wilson

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NOTES ON THE READINGS

Isaiah 58: 9-14 Isaiah can be divided into two (and possibly three) parts. Chapters 1 to 39 were written before the exile, from about 740 BC to about 700 BC. These were difficult times for the southern kingdom, Judah: a disastrous war was fought with Syria; the Assyrians conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, in 723 BC, and threatened Judah. Isaiah saw the cause of these events as social injustice, which he condemned, and against which he fought valiantly. Chapters 40 to 66 were written during and after the Exile in Babylon. They are filled with a message of trust and confident hope that God will soon end the Exile. Some scholars consider that Chapters 56 to 66 form a third part of the book, written after the return to the Promised Land. These chapters speak of hope and despair; they berate the people for their sin, for worshipping other gods. Like Second Isaiah, this part speaks of the hope that God will soon restore Jerusalem to its former glory and make a new home for all peoples. When we keep the meaning of the Sabbath, not merely as an empty religious ritual, then you shall delight yourself in the LORD. God will bless us, and we shall delight, not only in the blessings, but in the LORD Himself. We know it is sure, because the mouth of the LORD has spoken. In this chapter, God exposed the emptiness of two religious rituals as practiced in Isaiah's day: fasting and Sabbath keeping. Both of these are expressions of not doing things. In fasting, you don't eat. In Sabbath keeping, you don't work. An important aspect to this chapter is showing us that what we don't do isn't enough to make us right before God. Our walk with God shouldn't only be defined by what we don't do. What do we do for the LORD?

Hebrews 12: 18-end Apart from the concluding verses (which may have been added later), this book is a treatise (or sermon) rather than a letter. Its name comes from its approach to Christianity: it is couched is Judaic terms. The identity of the author is unknown; Origen, c. 200 said that "only God knows" who wrote Hebrews. The book presents an elaborate analysis, arguing for the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Christ as revealer and mediator of God's grace. Basing his argument on the Old Testament, the author argues for the superiority of Christ to the prophets, angels and Moses. Christ offers a superior priesthood, and his sacrifice is much more significant than that of Levite priests. Jesus is the "heavenly" High Priest, making the true sacrifice for the sins of the people, but he is also of the same flesh and blood as those he makes holy. The author contrasts the assembly of the Israelites when the old covenant (“something that can be touched”) was given with those who have entered the new covenant (vv. 22-24) brought from God (“mediator”, v. 24) by Jesus. On Mount Sinai, the Israelites were filled with awe and terror. Death by stoning was the Jewish form of capital punishment. In the story of the Golden Calf, Moses trembles with fear (v. 21). The old covenant was made on earth, but the new is in heaven (“Mount Zion ...”, v. 22). The community celebrating (“festal”) it includes all the Christian faithful, who “have [already] come ... to the city”, (“the firstborn”, v. 23) and the exemplars of the Old Testament (“spirits of the righteous”) who trusted in God despite not having the promises brought by Jesus. The author has written: “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s ... he died, but through faith he still speaks” (11:4). The “sprinkled blood” (v. 24) of Jesus, his death and resurrection that established the new covenant, speaks much more definitively of forgiveness than Abel’s example. Then v. 25: greater punishment is in store for those who reject Jesus’ warning from

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heaven than for those who rejected his warning at Sinai (“on earth”). In vv. 26-29, the author interprets God’s words spoken through the prophet Haggai as a reference to the Last Judgement. The kingdom that Christ has brought is unshakable, permanent, but those who “reject” (v. 25) him and his message will perish, be consumed with fire (v. 29), at the Last Day: God will “will shake not only the earth but also the heaven” (v. 26).

Luke 13: 10-17 Three gospels in the New Testament offer similar portraits of the life of Jesus; Luke is the third of them. Its author, traditionally Luke the physician who accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys, draws on three sources: Mark (via Matthew), a collection of sayings (known as Q for Quelle, German for source) and his own source. It is a gospel that emphasizes God's love for the poor, the disadvantaged, minorities, outcasts, sinners and lepers. Women play a more prominent part than in the other gospels. Luke never uses Semitic words; this is one argument for thinking that he wrote primarily for Gentiles. In the story of the healing of the crippled woman, Jesus shows what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom – through his actions. That he heals a woman and refers to her as a ”daughter of Abraham” (v. 16), a full member of Jewish society, is remarkable: the kingdom is equally open to women and the sick. In Jesus’ day, physical and mental ailments were seen as the work of evil forces (“Satan”); the very being of someone with a serious ailment was thought to be hostile to God. The woman does not ask to be cured; no one asks on her behalf; Jesus notices her (“Jesus saw her”, v. 12). Her response to his saving action is to praise God (v. 13). Anyone could speak in the synagogue: the “leader” (v. 14) speaks to the “crowd”, but his words are directed at Jesus. He is blind to God’s kingdom. Jesus’ rebuttal is clever, for while untying an ox or a donkey on the sabbath was forbidden in one part of the Mishnah (a Jewish book of laws), it was permitted in another. Jesus has “set free” (v. 12), untied, the woman who was tied to Satan. If you untie animals on the sabbath, why not humans? Honour and “shame” (v. 17) were, and are, important in Near Eastern cultures. Realizing that Jesus is right, the “leader” (v. 14) and other “opponents” (v. 17) are shamed before the crowd, who rejoice in this wonder-worker. The kingdom is open to all when they turn to God. NOTES ON THE MUSIC

Thus when the sun from's wat'ry bed from Samson – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Handel’s oratorio Samson was based on a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, who adapted Milton's Samson Agonistes, which in turn was based on the figure Samson in Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges. The premiere was given in London on 18th February 1743. It was a great success, leading to a total of seven performances in its first season, the most in a single season of any of his oratorios. Samson retained its popularity throughout Handel's lifetime and has never fallen entirely out of favour since. The well-known arias "Let the bright Seraphim" (for soprano) and this (for tenor) are often performed separately in concert. Like Bach, with whom he shared his year of birth, Handel suffered greatly at the hands of an English optician. In 1751 his eyesight started to fail in one eye. The cause was a cataract which was operated on by the great charlatan Chevalier Taylor. This led to uveitis and subsequent loss of vision. He died some eight years later in 1759 in London, at the age of 74, with his last attended performance being his own Messiah. More than three thousand mourners attended his funeral, which was given full state honours,

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and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. Handel never married, and kept his personal life private. He left a sizable estate at his death, worth £20,000, the bulk of which he bequeathed to a niece in Germany, with additional gifts to his other relations, servants, friends and favourite charities. If with all your hearts ye truly seek me from Elijah – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47) This piece was composed in the spirit of Bach and Handel, whose music Mendelssohn loved. In 1829, he had organized the first performance of Bach's Saint Matthew Passion since the composer's death, and was instrumental in bringing this and other of Bach's works to widespread popularity. In contrast, Handel's oratorios never went out of fashion (in England at any rate). Mendelssohn prepared a scholarly edition of some of Handel's oratorios for publication in London. Elijah is modeled on the oratorios of these two Baroque masters; however, the style clearly reflects, in its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour, Mendelssohn's own genius as an early Romantic composer. He composed the work to a German text by his friend Karl Klingemann, who earlier had provided him with the libretto for his comic operetta Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde. Upon being commissioned by the Birmingham Festival to write an oratorio, however, Mendelssohn had the libretto translated into English by William Bartholomew, and the oratorio was premiered in the English version. A number of critics, including Bernard Shaw, have treated the work harshly, emphasizing its conventional outlook and undaring musical style: I sat out the performance on Wednesday to the last note, an act of professional devotion which was no part of my plan for the evening … You have only to think of Parsifal, of the Ninth Symphony, of Die Zauberflöte, of the inspired moments of Bach and Handel, to see the great gulf that lies between the true religious sentiment and our delight in Mendelssohn’s exquisite prettiness. Charles Rosen additionally has characterized Mendelssohn as "the inventor of religious kitsch in music". In Rosen's view, Mendelssohn's religious music: is designed to make us feel that the concert hall has been transformed into a church. The music expresses not religion but piety ... This is kitsch insofar as it substitutes for religion itself the emotional shell of religion. Rosen once published a book called Critics and Other Madmen. Shaw was a vegetarian.

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Pats of this service are © the Archbishops’ Council 2001.

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