Reflection in words & music – Sunday 1st February 2026

Join The Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce, Rector of St Bride's, and St Bride's Choir for this week's reflection in words and music. St Bride's Choir begins this week's reflection with Henry Purcell's setting of the Nunc Dimittis – those words of the aged Simeon when Christ was presented for the first time in the temple: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation..." They are sung or said at every Evensong service and we particularly hold them in mind on this, the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. St Bride's Choir sings Choral Evensong in church each Sunday at 5:30pm. Alison begins her reflection with a brief biography of Brigid of Kildare, our matron saint whose feast day also falls today. Like many early Celtic saints it can be difficult to disentangle fact from folklore, made more so in Bride's case as she shares her name with a Celtic pagan goddess. We close with the hymn "O praise ye the Lord!" sung to the rousing tune by Sir Charles Hubert Parry. The hymn is the closing section of his anthem "Hear my words, O ye people." Information about our weekly Sunday services in St Bride's of Choral Eucharist at 11am (https://www.stbrides.com/worship-musi...) and Choral Evensong at 5:30pm (https://www.stbrides.com/worship-musi...) can be found on the website. Find out what's happening at St Bride's at https://www.stbrides.com/whats-on If you enjoy listening, please leave a comment below or subscribe to our channel. It is great to get your feedback. SUPPORT ST BRIDE'S ================== We are hugely grateful for people's generosity which we wholly rely on to continue our work, maintain our wonderful architectural heritage and support world-class music-making. People are often surprised to learn that St Bride's receives no external funding. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/stbridesch...