In quires and places where they sing…

This past summer, our choirs partook in something truly special – a sacred pilgrimage to the heartland of a choral tradition which is so dear to us all. 

One of the features of our UK choir tour which I and many of our participants keep coming back to in our recollections is the fulfillment offered through singing the daily office of Evensong…every day. In fact, you are receiving this message because as someone who signed up for our daily tour blog and who cheered us on from the sidelines, we thought you might be interested in the range of opportunities to hear the choirs singing Evensong here at home.

At Christ Church Cathedral, we have been offering Choral Evensong on Sundays for well over two decades. Wednesday Evensong during term time was introduced last September and will resume this Wednesday, September 6, at 5pm, sung by a small ensemble drawn from the Cathedral Choir.

Generally, the pattern is as follows: The first Wednesday of the month is sung by members of the adult Cathedral Choir, All other Wednesday Evensong services are sung by the Young Choristers, usually on their own, but sometimes joined by alto, tenor, and bass Choral Scholars.

To stay apprised of the schedule, check here for our monthly Worship and Music list.

Attending Choral Evensong is a different experience from what one might expect when attending church. It is reflective and not outwardly participatory – one participates as much or as little as one chooses by focusing in or by zoning out.

Noted church musician, Matthew Larkin, draws attention to this contrast: “For most choirs, preparing a service of Choral Evensong is a lot of work, and for all who participate in worship, the ethos of Evensong is unlike that of other liturgies. That's what makes it so precious to some, but so disconnecting for others. Often, when we don't see the purpose of things, we find reasons not to engage.”

But he goes on to exhort his readers to give Evensong a chance: “At the same time, it's a shared responsibility: those who offer the worship have a duty to do so in a way that engages the hearts and minds of those who share in it. Conversely, those who share in it have some work to do, too: if the aesthetic seems out of reach, maybe we have to search a little deeper for that connection.”

In his book Lighten our Darkness: Celebrating Choral Evensong, Simon Reynolds concurs, highlighting the service’s resurgence among younger generations: Notwithstanding its rooting in the past, Choral Evensong seems to attract and invite today precisely because it is a gift — and a gift that demands little or nothing in return. “The fact that it is possible to worship with a large degree of anonymity, and not be expected to conform to a pre-determined view of what it means to belong to the Church, is part of the attraction for many people.”

Whether you are old or young, whether you feel you belong to the Church or not, Christ Church Cathedral sets aside Wednesdays at 5pm and Sundays at 4pm for this short, reflective and beautiful offering, and we very much welcome your presence.