Choral Evensong is the most distinctive service of the Church of England – a service of traditional Evening Prayer with the words of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis set to music by the church’s greatest composers. The service helps to bring people closer to God through the poetry of the words, the beauty of the music, and calm contemplation. It is regularly sung at cathedrals and other churches across the country.
At St Mary’s, we sing Choral Evensong approximately every three months – often on festivals such as Advent Sunday or Palm Sunday. The canticles (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), responses, and anthem are sung by the St Mary’s choir. Settings at recent services have included Stanford in B flat, Noble in B minor, Shera in C and Dyson in D.
All are welcome to these services, which take place on Sunday evening and last around one hour. Please see the service listing for details of upcoming services.
St Mary’s Choir is a friendly, welcoming choir and always welcomes new members, both newcomers to choral singing and experienced singers. If you would like to sing at Evensong or our other services, come and talk to us after the 9.45am service on any Sunday, or come to choir practice at 7pm on Fridays.
