A rich tradition

At 4:15pm this Sunday, December 19, the Saint Nicholas Choir and Schola Cantorum will sing Choral Evensong. On behalf of Saint Philip’s clergy and choir, I warmly invite you to attend.

We are blessed in the Episcopal Church to have had this daily office be a part of the English tradition since the Reformation. Back then, the monastic offices of Vespers and Compline were combined to form this marvelous collection of psalms, biblical canticles, prayers, hymnody, and anthems.

Since the Victorian era, these liturgies have become a particularly rich opportunity for choral singing, and a unique moment for parishioners to sit and soak up the beauty, truth, and goodness of the texts. No wonder Andrew Gant, a historian of English Church music, calls our modern Choral Evensong an ‘emotionally rich theatrical spectacle!’

This month, the choir will sing a favorite setting, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G by Herbert Sumsion—the organist at Gloucester Cathedral for nearly 40 years. This delightful setting contains sparkling modal vocabulary that seems appropriate for this pre-Christmas week.

Magnificat in G, Herbert Sumsion, Guilford Cathedral Choir

Nunc Dimittis in G, Herbert Sumsion, Guilford Cathedral Choir

For the anthem, we will sing the short but ebullient Bogoroditse Devo by Arvo Pärt, a beautiful setting written for the King’s College Choir for their annual service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The words are the Slavic version of what we know as the ‘Ave Maria’ in the West:

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos
Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.

Bogoroditse Devo, Arvo Pärt, The Choir of St. George's Chapel

We hope to welcome you.

—Justin Appel, Director of Music