Worship

Choral Evensong

At Saint Thomas, Evensong typically occurs four times a week from September through May: Sundays at 4pm and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. But there are many exceptions, so please check the Worship Calendar. When we have Choral Evensong on a weekday, it replaces Evening Prayer in the Chantry.

Based on the services held daily in the medieval Church, Choral Evensong as arranged in the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church has been sung regularly since the Sixteenth Century. Many people who are new to worship at Saint Thomas prefer to come to Choral Evensong because it is relatively passive. The service includes readings (just as would occur at Evening Prayer) and prayers led by a priest. An anthem as well as a setting of the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis are sung by the choir.

By looking at details for specific services on the calendar or by downloading the Music List on this website, you can see which settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis will be offered on any particular date.

At Saint Thomas, Sunday Choral Evensongs and Weekday Choral Evensongs follow the same format, except that Sunday Evensongs include a sermon and more hymns. Also, there is no Mass following Sunday Evensongs, but there is almost always a Mass following Weekday Evensongs.

If a Major Feast Day, such as the Feast of Saint Luke, falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, Choral Evensong is replaced with a Weekday Festal Eucharist, which is more similar to a Sunday Morning Service than to Choral Evensong.

At Choral Evensong on October 30, 2011, the Rector preached on the question: What is Evensong? Read or listen to the sermon here. Also, at Choral Evensong on April 7, 2011, the Rector spoke of the Daily Office as part of our mission to worship, love and service our Lord Jesus Christ through the Anglican tradition and our unique choral heritage. If you wonder why we worship together usually about 20 times per week, this brief homilette will help you understand. Listen to it here.