Christ Church Cathedral will begin to offer regular Choral Evensong on Wednesdays in term time, beginning September 7.

One of the things which sets apart cathedrals in both the UK and North America is their pattern of daily worship. In the UK, where most cathedrals are attached to choir schools which educate choristers and other elementary school pupils, this manifests itself in the inherited tradition of daily Choral Evensong.

This is rarer in North America, but not unheard of. Washington National Cathedral offers weekday Choral Evensong, as does St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue in New York with its famous choral tradition. On our own coast, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco offers Choral Evensong sung by its choir of trebles every Thursday.

Before the pandemic struck, our young choristers were singing Wednesday Evensong twice a month. To bring some regularity both to their routine and to our cathedral’s rhythm of worship, they’ll be singing services almost every Wednesday at 5pm during school term. The young choristers’ first service will be Wednesday, September 21 in the nave.

When the choristers are not on duty (usually the first Wednesday of the month), members of the Cathedral Choir will be offering their voices to this service. There are a few irregularities as we get going, so here is a full list of Wednesday choral services through December:

Wednesday, September 7: Choral Evensong, 5pm
Wednesday, September 14: Evening Prayer (said), 5pm; Ordination of Deacons, 7pm
Wednesday, September 21: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, September 28: Choral Evensong, 5pm
Wednesday, October 5: Choral Evensong, 5pm
Wednesday, October 12: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, October 19: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, October 26: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, November 2: Evening Prayer (said), 5pm; Requiem Eucharist for All Souls’ Day, 7pm
Wednesday, November 9: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, November 16: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, November 23: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, November 30: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, December 7: Choral Evensong, 5pm (Young Choristers)
Wednesday, December 14-Wednesday, January 4, Evening Prayer (said)

Weekday Evensong is slightly gentler and more contemplative than Sunday Evensong. Lasting roughly thirty minutes, it is almost entirely sung by the choir and is a great way to finish your day. The 17th-century English poet, George Herbert, who called Choral Evensong “heaven on earth” also penned these words in a beloved hymn: “Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee.” Oh that we might live up to that in our own lives. -DH