What is Evensong?

Evensong is a combination of two of the seven offices (services) that made up the daily round of monastic prayer. These were the evening offices of Vespers and Compline which consisted of responses, psalms, canticles, readings and prayers. The liturgy of Evensong was first written down in 1549 in Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer. Several revisions to the book were made over subsequent years with the definitive version published in 1662. Widely known for the beauty and richness of its language, including Miles Coverdale’s translation of the psalms, the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer remains the official prayer book of the Church of England.

The service of Evensong is renowned for its choral music. Several sections of the liturgy are sung by the choir though there are various ways in which everyone can participate. For example, it is an ancient custom in the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis as the choir sings the first two lines of the Gloria (‘Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost’) to make the sign of the cross and to bow one’s head in honour of God the Holy Trinity.

Ever since its foundation this church has been a house of prayer. The first recorded priest of St Mary’s Whitkirk was Paulinus who was the priest here in 1185 AD. The worship we share today gives a powerful sense of connecting the present with the past and of being part of a great, and continuing, tradition. Thank you for being part of this act of worship as we join our prayers and praises with those that have been offered here at St Mary’s for over eight hundred years.

Welcome to Choral Evensong

We are delighted today to welcome to St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk:

The Girls’ Choir & Lay Clerks of Bradford Cathedral
Alexander Berry – Director of Music, Bradford Cathedral
Shaun Turnbull – Assistant Organist, Ripon Cathedral

The choristers of Bradford Cathedral love to share their music with congregations of other churches and, six times a year, the Bradford Cathedral Choir undertakes a ‘Safari Evensong’ in one of the 605 parish churches in the Diocese of Leeds.

Sharing its choral music with churches across the Diocese of Leeds is a valuable part of Bradford Cathedral’s mission.

Bradford Cathedral is one of the three cathedrals in the Diocese of Leeds. The other two are Ripon Cathedral and Wakefield Cathedral.

The music at today’s service includes the ‘Preces and Responses’ by Philip Radcliffe (1905-1986), a setting of the ‘Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis’ (‘Fourth Service’) by Adrian Batten (1591-1637) and the anthem ‘Jubilate’ in B flat by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924).

The Service of Choral Evensong

Our worship begins at the sound of the bell, please stand as the sacred ministers enter, during which the introit hymn is sung.

Hymn

Praise to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful,
Most sure in all his ways.

O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
A second Adam to the fight
And to the rescue came.

O generous love! that he who smote
In Man for man the foe,
The double agony in Man
For man should undergo.

And in the garden secretly,
And on the cross on high,
Should teach his brethren, and inspire
To suffer and to die.

Praise to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful,
Most sure in all his ways.

Words: John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Music: John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876)
Hymn Tune: GERONTIUS

Sentences of the Scriptures

Please remain standing.

Dearly beloved brethren,
the scripture moveth us in sundry places 
to acknowledge and confess
our manifold sins and wickedness;
and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them
before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father;
but confess them with an humble,
lowly, penitent, and obedient heart;
to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same,
by his infinite goodness and mercy.
And although we ought at all times
humbly to acknowledge our sins before God;
yet ought we most chiefly so to do,
when we assemble and meet together
to render thanks for the great benefits
that we have received at his hands,
to set forth his most worthy praise,
to hear his most holy Word,
and to ask those things
which are requisite and necessary,
as well for the body as the soul.

Wherefore I pray and beseech you,
as many as are here present,
to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice
unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me:

General Confession

Please kneel or sit.

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.

The Absolution

Said by the Priest.

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.

Opening Responses (‘Preces’)

The ‘Preces and Responses’ are sung alternately by the cantor and the choir.

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.

Please stand.

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.

Psalmody

Please remain standing.

The psalms are sacred poems from the Old Testament dating back over three thousand years. The music for the psalm is known as Anglican chant, a short repeating tune.

Psalm 2

1. Why do the heathen so furiously rage together:
   And why do the people imagine a vain thing?
2. The kings of the earth stand up
   and the rulers take counsel together:
   Against the Lord and against his anointed.
3. ‘Let us break their bonds asunder:
   And cast away their cords from us.’
4. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn:
   The Lord shall have them in derision.
5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath:
   And vex them in his sore pleasure.
6. ‘Yet have I set my King:
   ‘Upon my holy hill of Sion.’
7. I will preach the law whereof the Lord hath said unto me:
   ‘Thou art my Son
   this day have I begotten thee.
8. ‘Desire of me
   and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance:
   ‘And the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9. ‘Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron:
   ‘And break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’
10. Be wise now therefore O ye kings:
    Be learnèd ye that are judges of the earth.
11. Serve the Lord in fear:
    And rejoice unto him with reverence.
12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry
    and so ye perish from the right way:
    If his wrath be kindled (yea but a little)
    Blessèd are all they that put their trust in him.
    
    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.

Old Testament Lesson

Hosea 1

Please sit.

At the end the reader says:

Here endeth the First Lesson.

Magnificat

Please stand.

The Magnificat is the song of praise Mary sang after learning that she would give birth to Jesus, as recounted in Luke’s gospel (1.46).

My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his hand-maiden.
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 Lesson

Colossians 3.1-22

Please sit.

At the end the reader says:

Here endeth the Second Lesson.

Nunc Dimittis

Please stand.

The Nunc Dimittis is also known as the Song of Simeon. Luke’s gospel (2.29) tells us that old Simeon, a devout Jew, had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the promised Saviour. When Jesus was presented to him at the temple in Jerusalem, he at once recognised the Messiah and uttered these words of farewell.

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.

The Apostles’ Creed

Please remain standing.

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 Catholick Church;
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.
Amen.

The Lesser Litany

These prayers bind together themes of praise, mercy and the desire for God’s protection as night draws in. The Lesser Litany is sung alternately by the cantor and the choir.

The Lord be with you.

And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Please kneel or sit.

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 them that trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.

The Responses

These are sung alternately by the cantor and the choir.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.

And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save the Queen.

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 of the Day

The Fourth Sunday before Lent

O God, whose blessèd Son was manifested
that he might destroy the works of the devil,
and make us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life;
Grant us, we beseech thee, that, having this hope,
we may purify ourselves, even as he is pure;
that, when he shall appear again
with power and great glory,
we may be made like unto him
in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where with thee, O Father,
and thee, O Holy Ghost,
he liveth and reigneth, ever one God,
world without end.

Amen.

The anniversary of
Her Majesty The Queen’s Accession

O God, who providest for thy people by thy power,
and rulest over them in love;
Vouchsafe so to bless thy Servant our Queen,
that under her this nation may be wisely governed,
and thy Church may serve thee in all godly quietness;
and grant that she being devoted to thee with her whole heart,
and persevering in good works unto the end,
may, by thy guidance, come to thine everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end.

Amen.

The 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.

The Collect for Aid against all Perils

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.

The Anthem

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands:
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is God:
it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful, be thankful unto him,
and speak good of his name.
For the Lord is gracious,
his mercy is everlasting,
and his truth endureth
from generation to generation;
his truth endureth.

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.

Words: Psalm 100
Music: Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

The Sermon

Hymn

Please stand.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper rev’rence praise,
In deeper rev’rence praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow thee,
Rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with knee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love,
Interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace,
The beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm,
O still small voice of calm!

Words: John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Music: Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)
Hymn Tune: REPTON

The Prayers

Please kneel or sit.

Hymn

Please stand.

Christ triumphant, ever reigning,
Saviour, Master, King,
Lord of heav’n, our lives sustaining,
Hear us as we sing:
Yours the glory and the crown,
The high renown, the eternal name.

Word incarnate, truth revealing,
Son of Man on earth!
Pow’r and majesty concealing
By your humble birth:
Yours the glory and the crown,
The high renown, the eternal name.

Suff’ring servant, scorned, ill-treated,
Victim crucified!
Death is through the cross defeated,
Sinners justified:
Yours the glory and the crown,
The high renown, the eternal name.

Priestly King, enthroned for ever
High in heav’n above!
Sin and death and hell shall never
Stifle hymns of love:
Yours the glory and the crown,
The high renown, the eternal name.

So, our hearts and voices raising
Through the ages long,
Ceaselessly upon you gazing,
This shall be our song:
Yours the glory and the crown,
The high renown, the eternal name.

Words: Michael Saward (1932-2015)
Music: John Barnard (b. 1948)
Hymn Tune: GUITING POWER

The Blessing or The Grace

After the service, please do stay for refreshments of sherry (or fruit juice) and shortbread biscuits. The refreshments will be served at the East end of the church in the Holy Trinity Chapel.

Thank you for being part of this evening’s act of worship.

The next Choral Evensong at St Mary’s will be on Sunday 6 March at 6.00 pm.

Please follow the instructions of the stewards as you leave the building and remember to clean your hands.