What is Evensong?
There’s nothing that soothes my heart quite like the service of Evensong. For those of us who are relatively new to the Anglican tradition, Evensong is the mostly-sung version of the service of Evening Prayer, a liturgy for the close of day.
Many religious traditions appoint prayers for the evening. Prayers before sleep are an ancient element of Judaism, and are still in use today. The Book of Psalms includes several prayers for the close of day, including Psalm 91.
Since the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church has observed the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. The Divine Office divides the day into eight portions, each of which is marked with a short service of prayer. Their Divine Office maintains two evening services: Vespers, at the time of lighting lamps, and Compline, before bedtime. The Episcopal Church today has its own version of the Daily Office.
The Orthodox Church maintains a similar Liturgy of the Hours. Their Vespers service includes the beautiful Greek hymn Phos hilaron, a hymn sung at the lighting of the lamps, and which we sing in English at Evensong.
At the Reformation, several Protestant groups implemented their own evening prayers. The Lutheran tradition founded their own evening Vespers liturgy. When Thomas Cranmer was creating the Book of Common Prayer for the fledgling Anglican church, he merged the Divine Office services of Vespers and Compline into one service, called Evening Prayer. Containing Scriptures, hymns, a psalm, and a collection of beautiful prayers appropriate for the close of day, Evening Prayer can be recited alone or in a group. When it is set to music, we call it Evensong.
The Anglican tradition has a glorious repertoire of music written for Evensong. I’ve selected settings from throughout our history for the virtual Evensong you can enjoy on this page. You may follow the text of Evening Prayer, Rite I, below, along with the readings for the day this blog post was published (July 29, 2020), and click the video links to listen to portions that are sung. Alternately, if you would rather rest quietly and listen to the music used herein, you can listen to the playlist here.
A Virtual Evensong
Introit
Evensong often begins with an anthem or hymn.
Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Thou knowest, Lord,
the secrets of our hearts;
Shut not thy merciful ears unto our pray'rs;
But spare us, Lord most holy,
O God most mighty.
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
Thou most worthy Judge eternal,
Suffer us not at our last hour,
For any pains of death
to fall away from Thee.
Opening sentence
If I say, "Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night," darkness is not dark to thee, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to thee are both alike. Psalm 139:10,11
THE INVITATORY
This portion of the service is also known as the Preces. This choral setting by William Byrd (1540–1623) uses the text of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Officiant: O Lord, open thou our lips.
People: And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Officiant: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O Lord, make haste to help us.
Officiant and People: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen. Praise ye the Lord.
PHOS HILARON
This ancient Greek hymn for the lighting of lamps comes from the Orthodox tradition.
Hail, Gladdening Light
Sir John Stainer (1840-1901)
Hail, gladdening Light,
of his pure glory poured
who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
holiest of holies, Jesus our Lord.
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest,
the lights of evening round us shine,
we hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.
Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung with undefilèd tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.
THE PSALTER
Every Evensong contains a psalm. Traditionally, these are chanted in four-part harmony, in a style called Anglican Chant.
Psalm 65. Te decet hymnus.
Chant by Philip Taylor
(1928 Book of Common Prayer)
THOU, O God, art praised in Sion; * and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem.
2 Thou that hearest the prayer, * unto thee shall all flesh come.
3 My misdeeds prevail against me: * O be thou merciful unto our sins.
4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and receivest unto thee: * he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5 Thou shalt show us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our salvation; * thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea.
6 Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains, * and is girded about with power.
7 Who stilleth the raging of the sea, * and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the peoples.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens, * thou that makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it; * thou makest it very plenteous.
10 The river of God is full of water: * thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth.
11 Thou waterest her furrows; thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof; * thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it.
12 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; * and thy clouds drop fatness.
13 They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; * and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.
14 The folds shall be full of sheep; * the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; * world without end. Amen.
The first lesson
Genesis 46:2-47:12
2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.”
the magnificat
At Evensong, the first two Lessons are followed by set canticles: the Magnificat (the Song of Mary) and the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon). Composers have frequently set both as a pair to be used in Evensong. Choristers refer to such settings affectionately as a “Mag and Nunc.”
From Dorian Service
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The second lesson
Mark 4:30-34
30 Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
The nunc dimittis
From Dorian Service
Thomas Tallis
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, *
according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, *
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, *
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
the apostles’ creed
The Creed is generally chanted in unison.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
the prayers
The following choral settings are from William Byrd’s Preces and Responses. The text is from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Officiant: The Lord be with you.
People: And with thy spirit.
Officiant: Let us pray.
Officiant and People:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
the lord’s prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
the suffrages
O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, save the Queen. In the USA, you may sing, “Lord, keep this nation under your care.”
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
THE COLLECTS
Three collects are used in Evensong. The first is always the Collect for the Day. In this recording, a collect for a time of penitence is used.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of all enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
the anthem
Prevent Us, O Lord
William Byrd
Prevent us O Lord, in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy Name.
And finally by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
a prayer of st. chrysostom
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee; and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.
Amen.
CLOSING HYMN
Abide with Me, Fast Falls the Eventide
Tune: Eventide
Officiant: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.