Is Choral Evensong “A Thing”?

St. Nicholas Choir and Schola Cantorum singing Evensong at Worcester Cathedral, July 2016

For many of us in the Anglican choral world, Choral Evensong is “a thing.” Actually, Evensong has been a thing in the Anglican tradition for centuries. Cathedrals, collegiate chapels, and some parish churches in England sing Evensong daily or at least weekly, as do some Episcopal cathedrals and parishes in this country.

Choral Evensong has a bit of redundancy in its name. Choirs sing Evensong, thus making it automatically choral. Sometime Evensong is sung by a worshipping community, when it is usually then called Sung Evening Prayer. But for those who love the Anglican choral tradition, Evensong is Evensong and is sung by the choir.

The first prayer book of Edward VI, The 1549 Book of Common Prayer, is where Evensong first appeared by name: “The Ordre for Matins and Evensong throughout the yeare.” [sic] In the second prayer book under Edward VI, The 1552 Book of Common Prayer, the rites were renamed Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer: “The Order for Mornying Prayer and Eveninge Praier throughout the yere.”

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer, our present prayer book, has separate rites for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, along with the additional evening liturgical rite of Compline. However, when a choir sings Evening Prayer, we still usually call it Evensong. Here at St. Philip’s we use the order as given in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

Evensong has been called “one of England’s richest traditions” and “the gem of Anglican worship.” In our parish, we sing Evensong monthly from October to May. Our 4:30 p.m. Sunday worshippers can participate in the hymns, prayers, lessons, creed, and other spoken parts, while the music sung by the choir (canticles, anthem, other prayers) allows the worshippers to participate with their hearts, minds and spirits.

Perhaps a service leaflet from Coventry Cathedral best describes Evensong:

Evensong in an Anglican Cathedral is a magnificent act of worship. Sung daily in our church since the sixteenth century, this service is only a tiny fragment of the total worship of God offered by Christian people at every hour of the day and night in every part of the world. Evensong is drawn almost entirely from the Bible. Its primary purpose is to proclaim the wonderful works of God in history and in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its secondary purpose is to evoke from the worshipper a response of praise, penitence, prayer, and obedience.

The St. Nicholas Choir and Schola Cantorum lead our Evensong services on third Sundays at 4:30 p.m. (preceded by a brief organ recital at 4:00 p.m.). A reception follows the service. All are invited.