Would you like to know more about what Evensong is all about? Check out our introduction in this post!
Would you like to just rest and listen to the music, without reading the whole service? Here’s a playlist for that!
A Virtual Evensong for August 12, 2020
Introit
Miserere mihi, Domine
William Byrd (1540–1623)
Have mercy upon me, O Lord,
and hearken unto my prayer.
OPENING SENTENCE
I will bless the Lord, who giveth me counsel; my heart teacheth me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.
Psalm 16:7,8
THE INVITATORY
This portion of the service is also known as the Preces. This choral setting by William Byrd 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.
TE LUCIS ANTE TERMINUM
Setting by Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585)
To Thee before the close of day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That, with Thy wonted favour, Thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.
From all ill dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
That spot of sin we may not know.
O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.
THE PSALTER
Every Evensong contains a psalm. Traditionally, these are chanted in four-part harmony, in a style called Anglican Chant.
Psalm 18:1-19. Diligam te, Domine
I WILL love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence : my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust, my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised : so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me : and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
4 The pains of hell came about me : the snares of death overtook me.
5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord : and complain unto my God.
6 So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple: and my complaint shall come before him, it shall enter even into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked : the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth.
8 There went a smoke out in his presence : and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down : and it was dark under his feet.
10 He rode upon the cherubins, and did fly : he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place : his pavilion round about him, with dark water and thick clouds to cover him.
12 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed : hail-stones, and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder : hail-stones, and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them : he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
15 The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, at thy chiding, O Lord : at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
16 He shall send down from on high to fetch me : and shall take me out of many waters.
17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me : for they are too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble : but the Lord was my upholder.
19 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty: he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
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
Job 36:24-33; 37:14-24
24 “Remember to extol his work,
of which mortals have sung.
25 All people have looked on it;
everyone watches it from far away.
26 Surely God is great, and we do not know him;
the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water;
he distills his mist in rain,
28 which the skies pour down
and drop upon mortals abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 See, he scatters his lightning around him
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he governs peoples;
he gives food in abundance.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning,
and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its crashing tells about him;
he is jealous with anger against iniquity.
14 “Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them,
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
hard as a molten mirror?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Did anyone ever wish to be swallowed up?
21 Now, no one can look on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor;
around God is awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power and justice,
and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
24 Therefore mortals fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
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 The Great Service
William Byrd
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
Matthew 8:23-27
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
THE NUNC DIMITTIS
From The Great Service
William Byrd
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
Officiant: O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
People: And grant us thy salvation.
Officiant: O Lord, save the Queen. In the USA, this line is omitted, and later is inserted, “Lord, keep this nation under your care.”
People: And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Officiant: Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
People: And make thy chosen people joyful.
Officiant: O Lord, save thy people.
People: And bless thine inheritance.
Officiant: Give peace in our time, O Lord.
People: Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
Officiant: O God, make clean our hearts within us.
People: 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
In manus tuas
John Sheppard (c.1515-1558)
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
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
Glory to Thee, My God, This Night
Tune: Tallis’s Canon
Officiant: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.