Evensong

Evensong is a worship service of prayer, scripture, and music and is perhaps the most cherished and characteristically Anglican of all our liturgies. The service was developed in the sixteenth century for the first Book of Common Prayer and is based on medieval monastic and cathedral services. Though Evening Prayer (the spoken version of Evensong) can be read in utter simplicity, as during Lent at Good Shepherd, a lavish musical tradition developed around Evensong in English cathedrals and college chapels. These institutions had the liturgical heritage, the musical tradition, and the human and financial resources to support the singing of Evensong – and grand architecture and acoustics to surround it.
 

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, endorsing a long-standing custom, had this direction printed at the end of Evensong: ‘In quires and places where they sing, here followeth the anthem.’ Anglican composers have given their best efforts towards providing these anthems, knowing they would be heard in such a special setting. Many of these compositions are cornerstone pieces of the Anglican heritage.
 

Evensong at Good Shepherd continues the rich tradition of Anglican liturgy and music. The service begins with an improvisation on the organ and concludes with a major piece from the organ literature. In between, almost all of the service is sung, from the psalms and canticles to the prayers and anthems.