Hymns for Remembrance
The one Sunday of the year with people in the building who are not usually there. The booklet matters more than usual.
Remembrance Sunday is the second Sunday of November, and in most parishes it draws a congregation that includes people who come once a year, uniformed organisations, and civic guests. It is the Sunday on which a clear, well-made order of service does the most work, because most of the room cannot navigate the service from memory.
| Hymn | Where it sits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| O God, our help in ages past | Opening | Watts; St Anne. Effectively obligatory |
| Eternal Father, strong to save | Anywhere | Melita. The naval hymn |
| I vow to thee, my country | Final | Thaxted. Check copyright on the words |
| Dear Lord and Father of mankind | Gradual | Whittier; Repton. Public domain |
| Abide with me | Communion or final | Lyte; Eventide. Public domain |
| Make me a channel of your peace | Gradual | Temple. In copyright — check your licence |
| God is our strength and refuge | Opening | To the Dam Busters march. Divisive, and much loved |
The shape around the silence
The Act of Remembrance conventionally runs: the Exhortation (They shall grow not old...), the Last Post, the two-minute silence, the Reveille, the Kohima Epitaph (When you go home...), and then the laying of wreaths and the reading of the names.
Print all of it, including the responses, and print the names. This is the part visitors most need on the page, and the part most often left to a verbal instruction that half the room does not hear.
Timing
The silence is at eleven o’clock. Working backwards from that fixed point is the whole planning problem of the day, and it is worth marking the intended time against each item in the sheet the churchwardens and musicians hold.
Questions
What hymns are sung on Remembrance Sunday?
O God, our help in ages past; Eternal Father, strong to save; I vow to thee, my country; Dear Lord and Father of mankind; and Abide with me are the standard repertoire.
What is the order of the Act of Remembrance?
The Exhortation, the Last Post, the two-minute silence at eleven o'clock, the Reveille, the Kohima Epitaph, then the laying of wreaths and the reading of the names.