An opportunity for rest
in the midst of a busy week
Sung at the close of day in Cathedrals and churches throughout the world, Choral Evensong is a service of Evening Prayer, derived from the ancient offices of Vespers and Compline. The choir sings the traditional evening prayers of the church that have been offered for centuries, while the congregation listens, joins in the hymns, and adds their own prayers to those of the choir. It is an opportunity for peaceful meditation in the midst of a busy week.
Evensong is part of the worship which is offered to God by people in every part of the world throughout the day and night. When you come to Evensong at Epiphany, it is as if you were dropping in on a conversation already in progress—a conversation between God and his people, which began long before you were born and will continue long after you are dead.
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, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its second purpose is to evoke from the worshipper a response of praise, penitence, prayer, and obedience. Much of the English of the service is the language spoken and written by our ancestors more than four hundred years ago; it may sound old-fashioned but its meaning is not out of date. It is our hope that your prayers may join with ours in our evening offering of worship.