With churches closed across the UK due to Coronavirus our communities are looking for alternative ways to ‘gather’. After several weeks of hosting evening prayers online almost daily, our vicar Mother Katie asked whether we could adapt our usual weekly Choral Evensong services and offer these online too.
View a video on the Church YouTube Music Channel here.
This is the first of our experiments to present an ‘Evensong at Home’ service. I am Director of Music at St James, and the music in this video is performed live by four members of the choir who also happen to be part of my family!
We set up a little studio in my home office, which is a cabin at the bottom of our garden (I have a digital organ there), and sang everything live during the service. It was both nerve racking and exhilarating at the same time. Mother Katie led the service, and two more choir members read the lessons. One of our basses acted as host of the Zoom meeting.
We hope you enjoy it!
Jason Edge
This was the Order of Service:
- Welcome
- Opening Hymn – Christ is made a sure foundation
- Sung Responses Psalm 147 (Responsorial)
- Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 4: 1-10
- Magnificat – Fauxbourdons Service (Sarah MacDonald)
- New Testament Reading: Revelation 21: 1-14
- Nunc Dimittis – Fauxbourdons Service (Sarah MacDonald)
- Creed and Sung Responses
- Anthem – O Trinity of blessed light (arr. Barratt)
- Prayers
- Closing Hymn – Christ is our strength and refuge
- Organ Voluntary – Imperial March – Elgar