Choral Evensong
Welcome
Evensong is based upon a monastic office of the medieval Church. This version, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, has been a form of corporate prayer and worship for millions of Anglican Christians throughout the world for centuries. Whether you are familiar with these texts or whether this is a new experience for you we hope that through the music and words that are offered you will be able to come close to God.
Please join in with the words in bold type and stand, sit and kneel as you are able, indicated in italics.
Pre-service Voluntary
Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf (BWV 617) – J.S. Bach
The service begins with an introit sung by the choir. This is often a piece of scripture set to music.
Introit
Sing how the age-long promise of a Saviour
The minister gives an informal word of welcome, after which we stand to sing the hymn.
Hymn
We remain standing.
Hymn 112 New light has dawned
Introduction
Beloved, we are come together in the presence of almighty God and of the whole company of heaven to offer unto him through our Lord Jesus Christ our worship and praise and thanksgiving; to make confession of our sins; to pray, as well for others as for our ourselves, that we may know more truly the greatness of God’s love and shew forth in our lives the fruits of his grace; and to ask on behalf of all men such things as their well-being doth require.
Wherefore let us kneel in silence, and remember God’s presence with us now.
We kneel or sit and after a short period of silence we join together in saying
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
and there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent;
according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.
Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who desireth not the death of a sinner,
but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;
and hath given power, and commandment, to his ministers
to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,
the absolution and remission of their sins;
he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.
Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,
and his Holy Spirit,
that those things may please him which we do at this present;
and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy;
so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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 them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The choir and minister stand for the chanting of the Preces.
Preces
O Lord, open thou our lips
and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
The congregation stands.
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.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
The congregation sits as the choir sings the appointed psalm.
Psalm 132
We stand as the choir sings the words:
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.
We sit and remain seated for the readings and canticles sung by the choir.
Old Testament Reading
Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Saviour.
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 shewed 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 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.
New Testament Reading
Nunc Dimittis
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 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.
We stand to say the statement of Christian belief.
Apostles Creed
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.
Responses
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
The congregation sits or kneels for the prayers of the church.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father, who 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 them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, save the King
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.
Collect of the Day
The minister chants the collect appointed for the day.
Collect for Peace
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 both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments,
and also that, by thee,
we being defended from the fear of our enemies
may pass our time in rest and quietness;
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
Collect for Aid
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 Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Anthem View me, Lord – Charles Wood
We remain seated as the choir sings an anthem, a piece of choral music which reflects the theme of the season, after which the minister may give a short address.
Prayers of Intercession
We sit or kneel for prayers led by the minister, after which we say together:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
Notices may be given, after which we stand to sing the final hymn.
Hymn 80 Of the Father’s heart begotten (omit vv. 2 & 3)
We remain standing for the closing prayer.
Closing Prayer
We sit to listen to the organ voluntary.
Organ Voluntary
Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf (BWV 1092) – J.S. Bach