Compline at Arundel Cathedral: Guildford Cathedral Choir (Barry Rose)

Another wonderful video from Archives of Sound; this time it's Compline for Ordinary Time, sung in English.  The full text of the service was included at the page as well, and I've copied it in below.



About the choir and the recording, from the YouTube page:

The Lay-clerks of Guildford Cathedral, directed by Barry Rose:
The Office of Compline, sung in English by the Lay Clerks of Guildford Cathedral on 25th July 1973, in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, Arundel, West Sussex.
(Officiant: The Rev. Prebendary W. D. Kennedy-Bell. Musical director: Barry Rose. It was a busy day for the men of the choir; a couple of hours earlier, they had broadcast Vespers live on BBC Radio from the same cathedral, together with the boys of the choir.)

"Compline" is the final church service (or "office") of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. Compline tends to be a contemplative Office that emphasizes spiritual peace. In many monasteries it is the custom to begin the "Great Silence" after Compline, during which the whole community, including guests, observes silence throughout the night until the morning service the next day. In the Anglican tradition, Compline was originally merged with Vespers to form Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer.

Here's the full text for the service:

The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.

Brethren, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
whom resist, steadfast in the faith.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Thanks be to God.

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's name be praised.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
and hearken unto my prayer.

Psalm 91:
1. Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High : shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my stronghold : my God, in him will I trust.
3. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter : and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers : his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night : nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. For the pestilence that walketh in darkness : nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noonday.
7. A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand : but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold : and see the reward of the ungodly.
9. For thou, Lord, art my hope : t hou hast set thine house of defence very high.
10. There shall no evil happen unto thee : neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee : to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee in their hands : that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder : the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him : I will set him up, because he hath known my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will hear him : yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.
16. With long life will I satisfy him : and shew him my salvation.
GLORIA

Have mercy upon me, O God,
and hearken unto my prayer.

Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not, O Lord our God.
Thanks be to God.

Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Hymn:
Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world we pray,
That with thy wonted favour thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.
From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread underfoot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.
O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.

Keep me as the apple of an eye.
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

Preserve us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep we may rest in peace.

NUNC DIMITTIS

Preserve us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep we may rest in peace.

CREED

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR FATHER

Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers:
to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost:
let us praise him and magnify him for ever.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven:
to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

The almighty and most merciful Lord guard us and give us his blessing.
Amen.

CONFESSION

Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us;
that thy people may rejoice in thee?

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us;
and grant us thy salvation.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin;
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, hear our prayer;
and let our cry come unto thee.

COLLECTS

We will lay us down in peace and take our rest.
For it is thou, Lord, only that makest us dwell in safety.

The Lord be with you
and with thy spirit.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The almighty and merciful Lord,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,
bless us and preserve us.

Amen.