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 Myles 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.

Evensong is also 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 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 as we join our prayers and praises with those that have been offered here at St Mary’s for over eight hundred years.

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

Ye watchers and ye holy ones, 
bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones, 
raise the glad strain, alleluia. 
cry out, dominions, princedoms, pow’rs, 
virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs: 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, 
alleluia, alleluia.

O higher than the cherubim, 
more glorious than the seraphim, 
lead their praises, alleluia. 
O Mary, bearer of the Word, 
most gracious, magnify the Lord:  
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, 
alleluia, alleluia.

Respond, ye souls in endless rest, 
ye patriarchs and prophets blest, 
alleluia, alleluia. 
Ye holy twelve, ye martyrs strong, 
all saints triumphant, raise the song: 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, 
alleluia, alleluia.

O friends, in gladness let us sing, 
supernal anthems echoing, 
alleluia, alleluia. 
to God the Father, God the Son, 
and God the Spirit, Three in One: 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, 
alleluia, alleluia.

Words: Athelstan Riley (1858-1945) alt.
Music: melody from ‘Geistliche Kirchengesang’, Cologne (1623)
arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: LASST UNS ERFREUEN

Sentences of the Scriptures

Mary said: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word’. And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1.38

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;

Please kneel or sit.

The General Confession

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

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.

The Preces

The Preces (short petitions) 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.

Please sit.

The Psalmody

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.

The Choir sings the psalm appointed for today.

Psalm 132

Lord remember David :  
And all his trouble.

How he sware unto the Lord :  
And vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob ;

‘I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house :  
‘Nor climb up into my bed ;

‘I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep
nor mine eye-lids to slumber : 
‘Neither the temples of my head to take any rest ;

‘Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord ; 
‘An habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

‘Lo we heard of the same at Ephrata :  
‘And found it in the wood.

‘We will go into his tabernacle : 
‘And fall low on our knees before his footstool.

‘Arise O Lord into thy resting place : 
‘Thou and the ark of thy strength.

‘Let thy priests be cloth-ed with righteousness : 
‘And let the saints sing with joyfulness.

‘For thy servant David’s sake : 
‘Turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.’

The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David : 
And he shall not shrink from it;

‘Of the fruit of thy body : 
‘Shall I set upon thy seat.

‘If thy children will keep my covenant  
and my testimonies that I shall learn them : 
‘Their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.

‘For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself :
He hath long-ed for her.

‘This shall be my rest for ever : 
‘Here I will dwell, for I have a delight therein.

‘I will bless her victuals with increase : 
‘And will satisfy her poor with bread.

‘I will deck her priests with health : 
‘And her saints shall rejoice and sing.

‘There shall I make the horn of David to flourish : 
‘I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed. 

As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame : 
‘But upon himself shall his crown flourish.’

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.

The Old Testament Lesson

Please sit.

The First Lesson is taken from the second chapter of the Song of Solomon, beginning to read at the first verse.

I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his intention towards me was love. Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am faint with love. O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me! I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild does: do not stir up or awaken love
until it is ready!

Song of Solomon 2.1-7

At the end the reader says:

Here endeth the First Lesson.

After a short silence, please stand.

The Magnificat

The Magnificat is the song of praise Mary sang after learning that she would give birth to Jesus, as recounted in Luke’s gospel. During the singing of the Magnificat the altar will be censed.

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 blessèd.
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.

Luke 1.46-55

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.

Please sit.

The New Testament Lesson

The Second Lesson is taken from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, beginning to read at the sixth verse.

When the apostles whom Jesus had chosen had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son ofJames. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Acts 1.6-14

At the end the reader says:

Here endeth the Second Lesson.

After a short silence, please stand.

The Nunc Dimittis

The Nunc Dimittis is also known as the Song of Simeon. Luke’s gospel 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.

Luke 2.29-32

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.

Please remain standing.

The 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.

Please remain standing.

The Lesser Litany and the Responses

These prayers bind together themes of praise, mercy and the desire for God’s protection as night draws in. The Lesser Litany and the Responses are 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 heav’n,
hallowed be thy name.
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heav’n.
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.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God,
who looked upon the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and chose her to be the mother of thy only Son:
grant that we who are redeemed by his blood
may share with her in the glory of thy eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

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.

Anthem

Sung by the Choir.

There is no rose of such virtue 
as is the rose that bare Jesu:  
Alleluia. 

For in this rose containèd was
heav’n and earth in little space:
Res miranda. *                                             * A wonderful thing

By that rose we may well see
there be one God in persons three:
Pares forma.**                                            ** Of the same form

Then leave we all this worldly mirth, 
and follow we this joyous birth;  
Transeamus. ***                                           *** Let us go

Words: 15^th century carol
Music: Graham Ellis

Please remain seated.

Sermon

Hymn

Please stand.

Shall we not love thee, Mother dear, 
whom Jesus loves so well, 
and to his glory, year by year, 
thy praise and honour tell.

Thee did he choose from whom to take 
true flesh, his flesh to be; 
in it to suffer for our sake, 
and by it make us free. 

O wondrous depth of love divine, 
that he should bend so low; 
and, Mary, O what joy was thine 
the Saviour’s love to know. 

Joy to be mother of the Lord, 
yet thine the truer bliss, 
in ev’ry thought and deed and word 
to be for ever his. 

Jesu, the Virgin’s holy Son, 
praise we thy mother blest; 
grant when our earthly course is run, 
life with the saints at rest.

Words: Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877)
Music: Gordon Slater (1896-1979)
Hymn Tune: SAINT BOTOLPH

The Prayers

Please kneel or sit.

Hymn

Please stand.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord: 
unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice; 
tender to me the promise of his word; 
in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice. 

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name: 
make known his might, the deeds his arm has done; 
his mercy sure, from age to age the same; 
his holy name, the Lord, the mighty one. 

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might: 
pow’rs and dominions lay their glory by; 
proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight, 
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high. 

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word: 
firm is his promise, and his mercy sure. 
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord 
to children’s children and for evermore. 

Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024)
based on Luke 1.46-55
Music: Walter Greatorex (1877-1949)
Hymn Tune: WOODLANDS

The Blessing

The peace of God,
which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

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

Please note that there will be no Choral Evensong in October, but you are warmly invited to join us at St Mary’s Whitkirk on Sunday 4 October at 6.00 pm for a light-hearted service of “Harvest Bangers” with a collection for the food bank at St Richard’s Seacroft.

The next service of Evensong will be on Sunday 1 November at 6.00 pm. This will be a Festal Evensong for All Saints.