In our rushed lives so often bombarded by disheartening news, a perfect antidote is the offer of a peaceful and uplifting choral Evensong on a late winter afternoon.
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, at 4:00 pm, the Church of the Incarnation in Oakville is welcoming Canada’s pre-eminent professional Anglican choir from the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Elora to join choirs in a candlelit, late afternoon Evensong service.
The traditional Evensong service has its roots in the monastic offices of the medieval church. The Anglican Evensong form was established by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 in the first version of the Book of Common Prayer when he consolidated the monastic offices into two services conducted in English: Morning Prayer and Evensong. Much of the music associated with the Anglican Evensong service stems from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I later in the 16th century when composers such as William Byrd and Thomas Tallis created brilliant polyphonic choral repertoire specifically imagined for this service. For many, the Evensong service is considered the pinnacle of the English choral tradition, and its popularity continues to this day.
Dr. Patrick Murray, the Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist feels that an important part of St. John’s mandate is to reach out to other churches to help nurture the strong musical traditions that are part of the history of the Anglican church. In each of the past two years, the choir of St. John the Evangelist has visited a different parish within the Diocese of Niagara to lead or join forces with the home choir in creating an Evensong service for their local community. As they do so, Dr. Murray is finding new ways in which these historic Anglican Evensong services respond to the needs of our 21st-century world.
It is a great pleasure for me to welcome my long-time friend and colleague Patrick to Incarnation, where we have a thriving community church choir of about twenty-five to thirty singers. It is an exciting opportunity for this dedicated group to work with and sing alongside the sixteen professional choristers from Elora, and we are also extending an invitation to our community to join us for an afternoon to stir the soul through the power of music.
As one might expect, the Evensong service will be comprised of such elements as the Introit, sung Responses and Psalm, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis Canticles, a choral Anthem, and congregational hymns, as well as readings and scripture. Choral music will alternate between pieces sung by the choir of St. John’s the Evangelist and those sung by the combined choirs.
We are exploring new ways of experiencing the music of Evensong by combining traditional chants with more newly composed elements such as Canadian composer Sarah MacDonald’s settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis taken from her “Isolation Fauxbourdons (Evening Service)” written for the University of Cambridge choir during the pandemic. We are also exploring the elements as a choral anthem by Norwegian American composer Ola Gjeilo, “The Ground”, with lyrics excerpted from the Latin Sanctus and Agnus Dei settings.
All are invited to attend this special Evensong service on Sunday, February 9 at 4:00 pm, as the Church of the Incarnation in Oakville welcomes Canada’s own professional Anglican choir from Elora to join forces in what will be a service that will warm the soul both musically and spiritually.
The Power of Music to Stir the Soul
In our rushed lives so often bombarded by disheartening news, a perfect antidote is the offer of a peaceful and uplifting choral Evensong on a late winter afternoon.
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, at 4:00 pm, the Church of the Incarnation in Oakville is welcoming Canada’s pre-eminent professional Anglican choir from the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Elora to join choirs in a candlelit, late afternoon Evensong service.
The traditional Evensong service has its roots in the monastic offices of the medieval church. The Anglican Evensong form was established by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 in the first version of the Book of Common Prayer when he consolidated the monastic offices into two services conducted in English: Morning Prayer and Evensong. Much of the music associated with the Anglican Evensong service stems from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I later in the 16th century when composers such as William Byrd and Thomas Tallis created brilliant polyphonic choral repertoire specifically imagined for this service. For many, the Evensong service is considered the pinnacle of the English choral tradition, and its popularity continues to this day.
Dr. Patrick Murray, the Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist feels that an important part of St. John’s mandate is to reach out to other churches to help nurture the strong musical traditions that are part of the history of the Anglican church. In each of the past two years, the choir of St. John the Evangelist has visited a different parish within the Diocese of Niagara to lead or join forces with the home choir in creating an Evensong service for their local community. As they do so, Dr. Murray is finding new ways in which these historic Anglican Evensong services respond to the needs of our 21st-century world.
It is a great pleasure for me to welcome my long-time friend and colleague Patrick to Incarnation, where we have a thriving community church choir of about twenty-five to thirty singers. It is an exciting opportunity for this dedicated group to work with and sing alongside the sixteen professional choristers from Elora, and we are also extending an invitation to our community to join us for an afternoon to stir the soul through the power of music.
As one might expect, the Evensong service will be comprised of such elements as the Introit, sung Responses and Psalm, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis Canticles, a choral Anthem, and congregational hymns, as well as readings and scripture. Choral music will alternate between pieces sung by the choir of St. John’s the Evangelist and those sung by the combined choirs.
We are exploring new ways of experiencing the music of Evensong by combining traditional chants with more newly composed elements such as Canadian composer Sarah MacDonald’s settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis taken from her “Isolation Fauxbourdons (Evening Service)” written for the University of Cambridge choir during the pandemic. We are also exploring the elements as a choral anthem by Norwegian American composer Ola Gjeilo, “The Ground”, with lyrics excerpted from the Latin Sanctus and Agnus Dei settings.
All are invited to attend this special Evensong service on Sunday, February 9 at 4:00 pm, as the Church of the Incarnation in Oakville welcomes Canada’s own professional Anglican choir from Elora to join forces in what will be a service that will warm the soul both musically and spiritually.
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