Choral Evensong
Please see the music list below for the Autumn term and we look forward to seeing you at our church.
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2nd September
Choral Evensong
Trinity 13
Introit E’en Like the Hunted Hind, Tallis
Responses Smith
Psalm 136:1-9
Canticles Magnificat Primi Toni, Palestrina, Nunc Dimittis à8, Palestrina
Anthem Sancte Deus, Tallis
Hymns 235 (omit v.4)
Voluntary Auf meinen lieben Gott, BWV 646 J S Bach
9th September
Choral Evensong
Trinity 14
Introit O Ye who Taste that Love is Sweet, Eleanor Daley
Responses Smith
Psalm 11
Canticles Magnificat Octavi Toni, Lassus, Nunc Dimittis, Victoria à4
Anthem Among the Folk of Paradise, David McGregor
Hymns 439 (tune i, omit vv.3&4)
Voluntary Paean Howells
Sunday 13th September, 6pm
Choral Evensong
BBC Proms Service, Live on Radio 3
Introit Among the Folk of Paradise, David McGregor (World Première)
Responses Joanna Forbes L’Estrange
Psalm 119:41-48
Canticles Evening Service in D, Dyson
Anthem Blessed be the God and Father, Wesley
Hymns All People that on Earth do Dwell, harm. Wesley, God Moves in a Mysterious Way, harm. Britten
Voluntary Paean Howells
16th September
Choral Evensong
Trinity 15
Introit O Nata Lux, Tallis
Responses Smith
Psalm 119:33-40
Canticles Evening Service in D minor, Walmisley
Anthem O Sing unto the Lord, Lucy Walker
Hymns 485 (omit v.3)
Voluntary Prelude in D minor Stanford
23rd September
Choral Evensong
Trinity 16
Introit O Ignis Spiritus, Hildegaard of Bingen
Responses Smith
Psalm 67
Canticles Second Evening Service, Gibbons
Anthem Give Ear, O Lord, Weelkes
Hymns 455
Voluntary Ut, re mi, fa, sol, la Byrd
The service is followed by a concert given by Green Dragon Guild of London
30th September
Choral Evensong
Trinity 17
Music and Spirituality, Rev. Dr James Hawkey, Westminster Abbey
Introit Holy is the True Light, Harris
Responses Jessica French
Psalm 119:81-90
Canticles Evening Service in C, Stanford
Anthem Here Beauty Dwells, and Holiness, Thiman
Hymns 431
Voluntary NOT BH
7th October
Choral Evensong
Trinity 18
Joint service with the Schola Cantorum of King’s College School, Cambridge
Introit Sung by the Schola Cantorum tbc
Responses Radcliffe
Psalm 84
Canticles Evening Service in B minor, Noble
Anthem Evening Hymn, Balfour Gardiner
Hymns 336, Angel Voices Ever Singing
Voluntary Toccata Gigout
14th October
Choral Evensong
Trinity 19
Friends of the City Churches
Introit Jubilate, Philip Stopford
Responses Jessica French
Psalm 119:129-140
Canticles Evening Service in Eb, Wood
Anthem Now the Day is Over, Joshua Pacey
Hymns 445
Voluntary Colimaçon O’Regan
21st October
Choral Evensong
Trinity 20
Introit Abendlied, Rheinberger
Responses French
Psalm 98
Canticles Evening Service in Bb, Stanford
Anthem Psalm 23, Schubert
Hymns 362 (t.Austria)
Voluntary Passacaglia from Organ Sonata No. 3 in E minor, Op. 132 Rheinberger
28th October
Choral Evensong
Simon and Jude, Apostles
Music and Spirituality, Rachel Staunton, Artistic Director, London Youth Choirs
Introit Jesu, Grant me this I pray, Gibbons (NEH)
Responses Smith
Psalm 119:1-8
Canticles Magnificat ‘for village choirs’, Vaughan Williams; Nunc Dimittis, G. Holst
Anthem A Hymne to Christ, I. Holst
Hymns O God, beyond all praising (t.Thaxted)
Voluntary NOT BH
4th November
FMC Requiem Eucharist
The Choir of Holy Sepulchre
Orpheus Sinfonia
Requiem, Matthew Coleridge
Sunday 8th November
Remembrance Sunday
Introit Why Fumth in FightTallis
Anthem Geistliches Lied, Brahms
Blessing Go Forth into the World in Peace, Rutter
Hymns O Valiant Hearts, Love Divine (t. Blaenwern), National Anthem
Voluntary Chorale Fantasia on “O God our help” Parry
11th November
Choral Evensong
Remembrance Day
Introit We will Remember Them, Hilary Campbell
Responses Radcliffe
Psalm
Canticles ‘Truro’ Evening Service, Gabriel Jackson
Anthem O Lord, Support us all the Day Long, Francis Pott
Hymns 500
Voluntary Chorale Fantasia on “O God our help” Parry
18th November
Choral Evensong
Guest Conductor Daniel Hyde, Director of Music, King’s College, Cambridge
St. Cecilia
80th Anniversary of the return of the St Cecilia service to The Musicians’ Church by Sir Henry Wood.
This year is also the 70th anniversary of the death of Gerald Finzi, who wrote God is Gone Up for this service in 1954
Introit Heavenly Harmony, Joshua Pacey (World Première)
Responses Clucas
Psalm 37:1-9
Canticles Evening Service in G, Sumsion
Anthem God is Gone Up, Finzi
Hymns 466
Voluntary Ite, Missa Est Leighton
You are invited to come and sing…
25th November
Choral Evensong
Christ the King
Birthday of Joanna Forbes L’Estrange
Music and Spirituality, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, composer
Josef Rheinberger, composer (d.25 November 1901)
Introit Let My Prayer Rise Up, Forbes L’Estrange
Responses Forbes L’Estrange
Psalm 135:1-6, 15-21, Forbes L’Estrange
Canticles San Diego Service, Forbes L’Estrange
Anthem How Can I Keep from Singing, Forbes L’Estrange
Hymns 433 (omit vv 4&5)
Voluntary Allegro molto e ritmico from Organ Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Britannica” Stanford
2nd December
Choral Evensong
St. Andrew
Benjamin Britten, composer (d.4th December 1976)
Introit In the Stillness, Sally Beamish
Responses Katy Lavinia Cooper
Psalm
Canticles Wild Mountain Thyme Magnificat, arr. Tony Alonso; Nunc Dimittis, John Angus (Wode Psalter)
Anthem A New Song, MacMilan
Hymns The Lord’s My Shepherd (Crimond)
Voluntary Prelude and fugue on a theme of Vittoria Britten
9th December
Carols by Candlelight
Voluntary Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol Baker
16th December
Choral Evensong
Music and Spirituality, Fr. Matthew Jarvis OCD
Introit O Heavenly Word of God on High (NEH 2)
Responses Tallis
Psalm
Canticles Plainsong tone i
Anthem Vigilate, Byrd
Hymns 6
Voluntary Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 J S Bach
A history of Choral Evensong
Choral Evensong has roots going far back into ancient Judaism. We are told in the book of Acts that the early Church met together regularly for times of prayer. What they did was to continue the Jewish tradition of reciting prayers at various times of the day with virtually the same texts. The focus of these meetings was the chanting of the psalms and the recitation of Old Testament readings. The early Church then started to add readings onto this from the Gospels, Acts and the epistles plus canticles such as Mary’s song, the Magnificat.
After the Reformation, Archbishop Cramner laid out the structure of Choral Evensong as we know it today, using as the basis the ancient monastic Offices of Vespers and Compline. The first version appeared in the Book of Common Prayer in 1549. Cranmer was motivated by educating English people in the scriptures. Thus the liturgy was in English. He would have been familiar with St Augustine’s statement that ‘the New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New.’ As such, the liturgy contained both Old and New Testament readings, psalms for each day and a canticle, all linked together thematically.
The result is a wonderful sweep of scripture in a short, neatly contained service, all sung to wonderful music. In fact, the service of Choral Evensong has inspired composers to write some of their most brilliant music. This is a tradition that continues to this day. One prays this service from beginning to end, allowing the music to lift one’s spirits up into heavenly places.
You can find a link to our wonderful choir here, singing a work from our recent album, Soul’s Desire. This piece is called Present Yourselves a Living Sacrifice by James O’Donnell.
Here is a link to the album Soul’s Desire.
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