End of year: RGS celebrates and gives thanks

OUR whole school came together for our annual Commemoration Service at Ripon Cathedral to celebrate and give thanks for everything that makes Ripon Grammar School such a special place to be educated in. 

It was a wonderful end to the school year as our magnificent choirs and orchestra performed pieces by Wilby, Parry, Aston, Rutton and Hurford, led by our director of music Edward Seymour.

For some students this is the final chapter of their secondary education, but the memories and friendships made at RGS will last a lifetime. 

We now look forward to the exciting challenges of the year ahead and look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Tuesday, September 3.

RIPON GRAMMAR SCHOOL


COMMEMORATION SERVICE

RIPON CATHEDRAL

Friday 19 July 2019

at 11:00am

INTROIT

Alleluya Psallat (Peter Aston)

Chamber Choir

HYMN

1. All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

2. The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.

3. O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

4. For why? the Lord our God is good;
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

5. To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
The God whom Heaven and earth adore,
From men and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore. Amen

BIDDING

Beloved in Christ, it is our duty and our privilege on this day to give thanks to God for the foundation of this ancient and Royal Grammar School; to recollect the liberality of our benefactors and to recall our pious Founders, remembering especially John Norton, Thomas Markenfield, William Mallory, Richard Ardington, Ninian Staveley, Robert Walworth, Anthony Frankish, Miles Newton, Marmaduke Middleton and Ninian Parcivall; to acknowledge with gratitude our Royal Patrons, Philip and Mary, for their generous benefaction of a Free Grammar School within this City of Ripon. And we are bound by our common custom to praise our God for all those servants of His who have departed this life in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and who have left us a good example and have by their living confirmed us in all goodness.

And because this would rejoice His heart, let us pray for the needs of the whole world, for those who are in authority in this our nation, Elizabeth our Queen, all her ministers, that under them we may be godly and quietly governed; for this City of Ripon and all who bear responsibility for its common life and purpose; and lastly let us remember before God this ancient church and all its ministers that by their work and witness the true and living Faith may be set forth through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For all these things, as for all our personal needs of body and soul, let us make our prayers in the words of Him who taught us to pray:

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

ANTHEM

Litany to the Holy Spirit (Peter Hurford)

Musicality

HYMN

1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the ancient of days,

Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;

Thy justice like mountains high soaring above,

Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3. To all life thou givest, to both great and small;

In all life thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,

And wither and perish; but nought changeth thee.

4. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;

All laud we would render: O help us to see

‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

THE HEADMASTER - THE LESSON

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 44, 1-15

ANTHEM

I was Glad (C H H Parry)

Combined Senior Choirs

THE COMMEMORATION

Led by Students from Lower School, Upper School and Sixth Form

THE PRAYERS

O God, by Your Holy Spirit, lead us to desire Your perfection, to seek for truth, and to rejoice in beauty: illuminate and inspire, we pray, all thinkers and writers, all artists and craftsmen: Direct all teachers, staff and students in schools and colleges, that in whatever is true and pure, lovely and of good report, Your name may be hallowed, and Your kingdom come on earth. Amen.

HEAD BOY

The School Collect

We bless Your name O Lord, for our Royal and Religious Founders, and for all those by whose benefits this whole school is brought up in Godliness and good learning: and we humbly pray you so to assist us by Your Grace, that we may answer the good intent of our founders and become eager to learn and eager to serve, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HEAD GIRL

Prayer for Old Riponians

Let us pray for past members of our school:

O Lord God the Father of us all, the maker and builder of every house not made with hands: We give You thanks for all members of this school who have served with fruitful labour for the increase of knowledge and wisdom, and for the nurture of faithful servants of Your Church and Kingdom. As You enabled them to add their share to Your work, wrought out by many hands from age to age, so teach and strengthen us, we pray, to do Your will in the tasks which You have apportioned us in this our generation; and grant that with them we may enter into Your joy in the fulfilment of Your eternal counsel. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SILENCE

Then shall the Minister lead the congregation in an act of Dedication and Prayers as follows:

MINISTER: O Lord, You are in the midst of us.

PEOPLE: And we are called by Your Name.

MINISTER: Reveal to us Your Will and Purpose.

PEOPLE: That in Your Light we may see light.

MINISTER: Show us the way that we should walk in.

PEOPLE: For we lift up our souls to You.

MINISTER: The Lord shall give strength to His people.

PEOPLE: The Lord shall give his people the blessing of Peace.

MINISTER: We commit ourselves, O God to You;

PEOPLE: Keep us as Your own.

MINISTER: We commit ourselves to Your mercy:

PEOPLE: Cleanse us from all our sins.

MINISTER: We commit our work to You:

PEOPLE: Make it worthier to bear Your Name:

MINISTER: Guide us into Your Truth:

PEOPLE: And make us perfect in Your ways.

MINISTER: Unite us to Yourself and to one another.

PEOPLE: That we may be eager to serve and to seek

righteousness.

MINISTER: And in the end to embrace the Truth.

PEOPLE: Through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.

ANTHEM

A Clare Benediction

Senior Girls’ Choir

HYMN

1. And did those feet in ancient time

Walk upon England's mountains green?

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here

Among those dark satanic mills?

2. Bring me my bow of burning gold!

Bring me my arrows of desire!

Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!

Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,

Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,

Till we have built Jerusalem

In England's green and pleasant land.

SERMON

Reverend Chris Butler

ANTHEM

God’s Grandeur (Philip Wilby)

Combined Senior Choirs

HYMN

During the singing of this hymn a collection will be taken in aid of Surfers Against Sewage

1. Love divine, all loves excelling,

Joy of heaven, to earth come down,

Fix in us thy humble dwelling,

All thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, thou art all compassion,

Pure unbounded love thou art;

Visit us with thy salvation,

Enter every trembling heart.

2. Come, almighty to deliver,

Let us all thy life receive;

Suddenly return, and never,

Never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing,

Serve thee as thy hosts above,

Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,

Glory in thy perfect love.

3. Finish then Thy new creation,

Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see Thy great salvation,

Perfectly restored in Thee;

Changed from glory into glory,

Till in heaven we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before Thee,

Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

THE BLESSING

ORGAN VOLUNTARY

Orb & Sceptre

(William Walton (1902-1983) arr Robert Gower)

Organ played by Mr Tim Harper, A