Dawn Choral Eucharist – Easter Day

Our Dawn Service is one of the most evocative and unique events in the yearly calendar enjoyed both by our congregation and tourists visiting London.

It marks the beginning of a day of celebration of the feast of Easter. It starts with an echo of the darkness and despair of Good Friday but quickly moves to an affirmation of the strength of God’s love.

The service is immediately followed by traditional egg-rolling in Fleet Street after which a well-deserved breakfast is served back in church.

The service begins at 6:00am in darkness as we sit in vigil and hear the record of how God saved his people in ages past.

The congregation then moves to the West Door and a new flame is kindled from which the Easter Candle is lit. This new light of Christ is shared amongst the congregation.

We return to the nave to hear a lone voice sing the Exsultet, the great Easter song of praise. Light returns to the church, we reaffirm our faith and the first communion of Easter is celebrated.

Setting: Communion Service in C – John Ireland
Anthem: Now the green blade riseth – arr. Simon Lindley
Organ Voluntary: Chorale Prelude ‘Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn’ BWV 630 – Johann Sebastian Bach

The Verger then leads us in procession out on to Fleet Street for egg-rolling which symbolises both new life and the rolling of the stone from Christ’s tomb. A suitably chocolate-y prize is awarded for the furthest rolled egg.

Don’t forget to bring your hard-boiled (decorated) eggs!

Download Order of Online Service (pdf)

This service will also stream online on this page at the same time as the service in church, and on our pages at Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud.