What is Choral Evensong?

It occurs to us that we have talked a lot about Evensong and have not really explained the service. Given that readers of our blog may not be of the Anglican faith we thought we would describe it for you. As we started out on this tour the ritual was familiar to both Warren and Tammy-Jo who had both had positions previously at Anglican churches, but to many of us in the choir it was not familiar.

Gloucester Cathedral has a lovely little booklet which describes the history and I will use passages from that booklet to describe it.
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer outlined both Matins and Evensong in his 1549 Book of Common Prayer. In the Anglican tradition the psalms are chanted and the canticles (the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis) are sung to settings by some of the greatest composers from the sixteenth century to the present. We sang music composed exclusively by Canadian composers.
The Gloucester Cathedral introduction to Evensong says "... we pray at the beginning and the end of every day because our lives, our history and our future belong to God. We give thanks for good things, ask for help with difficult things and pray for those in pain and need. We also listen, day-after-day, to words from scripture that tell the great story of what God has done and will do. God is with us in all things and in all places. In this service of Evensong we give God our undivided attention."

"Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 15:18-20

Evensong follows a set ritual. Sometimes we start with an Introit, then some of the Responses, the sung Psalm, pause for the first reading from the Old Testament, followed by the singing of the Magnificat. The New Testament lesson follows, after which we sing the Nunc Dimittis, turn towards the altar to recite the Apostles' Creed, then finish the responses. The Collects for the day are chanted by the Cantor, one of our tenors. We then sing the Anthem and this is followed by the prayers of Intercession and the final Blessing. Choral Evensong usually takes about forty minutes but is longer or shorter depending on the length of the Psalm. (Psalm 18 took us about 11 minutes to sing! We were congratulated on getting through it.)

I will list the music we sang in Gloucester for your interest. Today, our last day, we thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful acoustics of this ancient cathedral as we sang beautiful music by Robin John King. The Magnificat (Song of Mary) and the Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon) was composed for us for this tour.

Monday Aug. 8
Ps. 4
Anthem: Help Us to Help Each Other – Stanley Drummond Wolff
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis – Stephanie Martin
Responses – Michael Capon
Voluntary: I will Pour out my Spirit (Eleanor Daley)

Tuesday Aug. 9
Ps. 9
Anthem: O Holy Spirit, Lord of Grace – Richard S. Eaton
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis – H. Hugh Bancroft
Responses – H. Hugh Bancroft
Voluntary: Caprice sur les Grand Jeux (Louis- Nicolas Clérambault)

Wednesday Aug. 10
Ps. 11
Anthem: Trust in the Lord and Do Good – David Ouchterlony
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in G (2011) – Warren Mack
Responses – Paul Halley
Voluntary: Trumpet Tune in A Major (David Ouchterlony)

Thursday Aug. 11
Ps. 18
Anthem: Abide in My Love – Warren Mack
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in F (2000) – Warren Mack
Responses – Warren Mack
Voluntary: Finale Jubiliante (Healey Willan)

Friday Aug. 12
Ps. 22
Anthem: In Paradisum – Eleanor Daley (from Requiem)
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis – Derek Holman
Responses – Jonathan Wild
Voluntary: Toccata from Suite Gothique (Léon Boëllmann)


Saturday Aug. 13
Ps. 24
Introit: O How Glorious – Healey Willan
Anthem: Rise Up My Love – Healey Willan
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis – Healey Willan
Responses – Paul Murray
Voluntary: Carillon (Herbert Murrill)

Sunday Aug. 14
Introit: There is No Rose – Robin John King
Ps. 72
Anthem: John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer – Robin John King
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis – Robin John King
Responses – Jonathon Wild
Voluntary: Carillon de Westminster (Louis Vierne)

Marg McKenzie