Choral Evensong At St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church On May 27th

The choir of St Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church will sing  evensong of the year this coming Sunday, 27 May, at 5.00 PM in the nave of the church. Service music will include settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by T. Tertius Noble, as well as the Preces and Responses as set by contemporary British composer Richard Shephard. The introit is 'If ye love me" by Thomas Tallis, and the anthem is 'I will not leave you comfortless' by William Byrd.
The choir of St Mary’s sings evensong every fourth Sunday from March through October, and the public is always welcome. Donations from this month’s evensong will be used in support of the Choral Scholarship program at St Mary of the Hills; this program provides financial support - generally to students and budding young singers – in exchange for outstanding vocal contribution to the choir.
The service of Evensong, or Evening Prayer, combines elements of two services – Vespers and Compline – which were part of the seven-service daily cycle of prayer in the monasteries. It is said or sung daily in the cathedrals and collegiate churches of England, and in many cathedrals and churches in America, as well. The service is a fragment of the worship offered to God by Christian people, at every hour, in every part of the world. In attending a service of Evensong, it is as if you were dropping in on a conversation already in progress – a conversation between God and God's people that began long before we were born, and will go on long after we are dead. So do not be surprised or disturbed if there are some things in the conversation which you do not at once understand.
The form of the service is little altered from the form of the sixteenth century, but the content has a longer history. The Psalms were the hymnbook of the Jewish temple. Canticles (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis) are taken from the New Testament, and in the set prayers and responses, thanksgiving and petitions the people of God have always found themselves trying to make are expressed in words that were shaped and refined by long usage.
The service is in three parts. The first part prepares the worshipper for the story that is to follow. The second part is the narrative of God's redeeming work, beginning with the psalms. The recitation of the psalter is at the heart of monastic worship, and this is reflected in the composition of Evensong. The story of God's work continues in readings from the Old and New Testaments. Canticles of praise in response to this story (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis) are taken from the gospels. This part reaches its climax in the Affirmation of Faith. The third part is our prayerful response to the God who has been revealed in history, in Jesus Christ, and in the Church.
For more information on this service, please contact St. Mary of the Hills at 828.295.7323.