Finding Steadiness: An Invitation to Evensong
While our rector, Evan, is away on vacation this week, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a reflection in his place. As many of you know, members of the St. Paul’s Choir recently spent a remarkable week in residence at Wells Cathedral in England. That experience—and especially the rhythm of daily Evensong—has deepened my appreciation for this ancient tradition and inspired a renewed invitation for all of us.
This past Monday, we returned home from Wells, where we offered daily Evensong services and music for Sunday Eucharist in one of the most beautiful and historic sacred spaces in the Anglican tradition. For those of us who were there, it was a transformative experience—one that deepened our connection to the rhythms of worship and the power of sacred music. Day by day, service by service, we stepped into a stream of prayer and praise that has been flowing since the founding of the cathedral’s choir school in 909 A.D.
It is difficult to describe the impact of singing Evensong every afternoon in that space: the stillness of the late afternoon, the ancient stone absorbing centuries of prayer, the beauty of the sung liturgy lifting our hearts even when our bodies were tired. It was a reminder that this practice—Evensong—offers not just beauty, but stability, grounding, and grace.
In the 1980s, I spent a summer studying in Oxford. I had recently lost my father, who passed away far too young at the age of 61. The grief was deeper than I expected. Everything felt unfamiliar. I found it difficult to pray. My spiritual life felt hollow. And yet, every afternoon, the bells of Christ Church or Magdalen or New College would call me into something ancient and steady: Evensong.
That summer marked the beginning of a practice that has continued in my life for decades. At the time, I wasn’t sure I was ready for words, but I was ready for rhythm. And that’s exactly what Evensong offered: not a jarring demand for emotional depth, but a gentle invitation into a practice shaped by centuries. It gave shape to days that had felt formless, and language to prayers I couldn’t quite form on my own.
In the Episcopal Church—the American branch of the Anglican Communion—Evensong is a sung version of Evening Prayer, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer. It is a short, reflective service, almost entirely set to music. It begins with an opening set of versicles and responses called the Preces. The Psalms are chanted, just as they have been for centuries. The heart of the service is a pair of canticles: the Magnificat (Mary’s song) and the Nunc Dimittis (Simeon’s song). These are typically sung to settings by composers from across the Anglican choral tradition. After the Apostle’s Creed, a second set of versicles and responses is sung, followed by several short prayers called Collects. Throughout, the choir offers the music on behalf of the congregation, allowing worshippers to simply rest, listen, and pray.
What makes Evensong unique is that much of it is sung by the choir alone. The congregation isn’t expected to do much. You don’t have to know all the responses. You don’t have to sing. You can just sit and listen. And in that listening, something remarkable happens: the prayers of others carry you when your own words fall short. The beauty of the music reaches into places untouched by ordinary speech. The structure of the service roots you in something larger than yourself.
In a world that often feels untethered and overwhelming, Evensong offers a rhythm worth returning to. It’s not flashy or loud. It doesn’t require emotional display or certainty of belief. It simply invites you to be present. To listen. To rest in God’s presence as the day closes.
Starting this August, St. Paul’s will offer Choral Evensong on the fourth Sunday of each month (except December). Whether you come to sing or to listen, I invite you to make this service part of your year. Come every month if you can. Or come whenever you’re able. Let the words and music do their work over time. Let them steady you. Let them become a rhythm that holds.
Evensong has been transformative for me. And I believe it can offer something quiet and life-giving to you, too.
All best,
Carol Nave, Assistant Organist/Choirmaster and Communications Associate
Choral Evensong will take place on the fourth Sunday of each month beginning August 24. You can learn more here: https://www.stpaulsfay.org/news/evensong-at-stpauls. We invite you to join us.