10 things about Evensong
You might have heard of Evensong. You might even have been to one. But what exactly is it? and why do people keep coming back? We’ve complied ten quick fire things as an introduction about one of the great living traditions of cathedral music.
- You don’t need to be religious to go
Anyone is welcome at Evensong, whatever your religion, background or beliefs. Whilst some people do come for the religious element, many just come for the music, others for the atmosphere and to enjoy having a quiet moment at the end of the day.
You don’t have to know anything about the service before you arrive. Just come in, find a seat and listen.
- It’s been around for centuries
The roots of Evensong go back much further than you might think. Before the Reformation, it was the English name for ‘Vespers’, one of eight daily services sung in monasteries and cathedrals.
Following the Reformation, the eight services were reduced, and the last two services of the day, Vespers and Compline, were combined to create Evensong. The first Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549, and the service has remained remarkably similar in structure ever since.
- It’s usually sung rather than spoken
There’s a difference between Evening Prayer and Choral Evensong.
Both have a similar structure of prayers and biblical readings, but at Choral Evensong the majority of the service is sung with the choir performing specially composed settings of the responses, psalms, canticles and anthems. For much of the service, the congregation simply listens. ‘Sung Evensong’ uses simpler music, possibly accompanied by an organ, and allows for more participation by the congregation, but does not usually involve a choir.
- There can be a lot of music in one service
An Evensong can contain up to seven different musical elements: an introit, Preces and Responses, psalms, canticles, an anthem, hymns and an organ voluntary.
That means one short service can take you through centuries of musical styles and traditions, from Renaissance composers to new music commissioned today.
- The psalms are often sung in a very distinctive way
If you’ve never heard Anglican Chant before, it can be one of the most striking parts of Evensong. The psalms are sung in four-part harmony, with the words fitted to a repeated musical pattern. The two sides of the choir may even take turns singing alternate verses.
It’s a tradition that developed in the seventeenth century and remains an important part of worship today.
- You’ll hear some very old words and some very old music
The words and music of Evensong connect us with generations of people who have all sung the same prayers, psalms, and canticles. You might hear music by Renaissance composers such as William Byrd or Orlando Gibbons alongside works by much more recent composers. The tradition isn’t frozen, it is a living thing: new music continues to be written and performed as part of Evensong.
- The choir isn’t just singing songs
The music is woven into the structure of the service. The Preces and Responses are sung prayers between a cantor and the choir. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis are biblical canticles traditionally sung after the readings. An anthem sets a prayer or passage of scripture to music, often reflecting themes from the readings.
So, while the music can be enjoyed as a concert-like experience, it is also part of something much bigger.
- You might hear the organ after everyone else has finished
At the end of Evensong, after the prayers and sung dismissal, the organist will often play a voluntary. This can be anything and is a chance for the organ to take centre stage and sometimes a particularly spectacular way to end the service.
- You don’t have to understand everything to enjoy it
You don’t need to know what a canticle is, recognise a composer or understand every word to get something from Evensong. For some people, it is an opportunity to hear exceptional live choral music. For others, it offers stillness, calm and a chance to reflect or simply pause at the end of a busy day.
As Tom Service writing for the Guardian described it, Evensong is “a living tradition that costs precisely nothing to experience live.”
- You can just… pop in
Perhaps the best thing about Evensong is that there’s no complicated admission requirement. You don’t need a ticket, specialist knowledge or a particular reason for being there. You can simply walk into a cathedral or Anglican church, take a seat and experience world-class music for free, something that has been part of the musical and cultural life of the UK for centuries.
Curious to know more?
Our Evensong Unwrapped guide takes a closer in depth look at the history, structure and music of the service – from Anglican Chant and the Magnificat to Preces and Responses and the organ voluntary. Find out more on our Discover Pages.
