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

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Matthew 5.8

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 alternatelyby 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 148

O Praise the Lord of heaven :
Praise him in the height.

Praise him all ye angels of his :
Praise him, all his host.

Praise him sun and moon :
Praise him all ye stars and light.

Praise him, all ye heavens :
And ye waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the Name of the Lord :
For he spake the word and they were made
he commanded and they were created.

He hath made them fast for ever and ever :
He hath given them a law which shall not be broken.

Praise the Lord upon earth :
Ye dragons and all deeps :

Fire and hail, snow and vapours :
Wind and storm fulfilling his word.

Mountains and all hills :
Fruitful trees and all cedars.

Beasts and all cattle :
Worms and feathered fowls.

Kings of the earth and all people :
Princes and all judges of the world.

Young men and maidens, old men and children,
praise the Name of the Lord :
For his Name only is excellent
and his praise above heaven and earth.

He shall exalt the horn of his people
all his saints shall praise him :
Even the children of Israel
even the people that serveth him.

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 sixty-fifth chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah, beginning to read at the seventeenth verse.

For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Isaiah 65.17-end

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 eleventh and twelfth chapters of the letter to the Hebrews, beginning to read at the thirty-second verse of the eleventh chapter.

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 11.32-12.2

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

O Almighty God,
who hast knit together thine elect
in one communion and fellowship,
in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord;
Grant us grace so to follow thy blessèd Saints
in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those unspeakable joys,
which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

The Choir sings an anthem.

Sermon

Hymn

Please stand.

Christ is our cornerstone,
on him alone we build;
with his true saints alone
the courts of heav’n are filled;
on his great love
our hopes we place
of present grace
and joys above.

O then with hymns of praise
these hallowed courts shall ring;
our voices we will raise
the Three in One to sing;
and thus proclaim
in joyful song,
both loud and long,
that glorious name.

Here, gracious God, do thou
for evermore draw nigh;
accept each faithful vow,
and mark each suppliant sigh;
in copious shower
on all who pray
each holy day
thy blessings pour.

Here may we gain from heaven
the grace which we implore;
and may that grace, once given,
be with us evermore,
until that day
when all the blest
to endless rest
are called away.

Words: Latin (before 9th century)
translated by John Chandler (1806-1876)
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)
Hymn Tune: HAREWOOD

The Prayers

Please kneel or sit.

Hymn

Please stand.

For all the saints who from their labours rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be for ever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
thou, in the darkness, still their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
and win, with them, the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest:
sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

But lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
the saints triumphant rise in bright array:
the King of glory passes on his way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Words: William Walsham How (1832-1897)
Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: SINE NOMINE

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 join us again on Sunday 6 December at 6.00 pm for our Advent Carol Service.

The next service of Choral Evensong will be on Sunday 3 January at 6.00 pm.