We hope you enjoy this virtual playlist and readings for Evensong on September 1, 2021.
Would you like to know more about what Evensong is all about? Check out our introduction in this post!
Would you like to just rest and listen to the music, without reading the whole service? Here’s a playlist for that!
A Virtual Evensong for September 1, 2021
Introit
Set Me As a Seal upon Thine Heart
William Walton (1902-1983)
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm:
for love is strong as death;
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.
OPENING SENTENCE
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
Psalm 96:9
THE INVITATORY
This portion of the service is also known as the Preces. This choral setting by the Missa Wellensis by John Tavener (1944-2013), and uses the text of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Officiant: O Lord, open thou our lips.
People: And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Officiant: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O Lord, make haste to help us.
Officiant and People: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen. Praise ye the Lord. The Lord’s Name be praised.
Phos Hilaron
Setting by Owain Park
Hail! gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is th'immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies–Jesus Christ our Lord!
Now we are come to the Sun's hour of rest;
The lights of evening round us shine;
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!
Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen.
THE PSALTER
Psalm 144 Benedictus dominus
Anglican chant settings by Charles Macpherson and Michael Overbury
BLESSED be the Lord my strength : who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
2 My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer, my defender in whom I trust : who subdueth my people that is under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him : or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
4 Man is like a thing of nought : his time passeth away like a shadow.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down : touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them : shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
7 Send down thine hand from above : deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity : and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God : and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.
10 Thou hast given victory unto kings : and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children : whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.
12 That our sons may grow up as the young plants : and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.
13 That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store : that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay : no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy are the people that are in such a case : yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON
Song of Solomon 8:5-7
Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of one’s house,
it would be utterly scorned.
MAGNIFICAT
Merton College Service
Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977)
Sung in Latin
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE SECOND LESSON
Mark 7:9-23
9 Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban’ (that is, an offering to God)— 12 then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.”
14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”
17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
NUNC DIMITTIS
Merton College Service
Ēriks Ešenvalds
Sung in Latin
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, *
according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, *
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, *
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS & Responses
From John Tavener’s Missa Wellensis
Officiant: The Lord be with you.
People: And with thy spirit.
Officiant: Let us pray.
Officiant and People:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Suffrages
Officiant: O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
People: And grant us thy salvation.
Officiant: O Lord, save the Queen. In the USA, this line is omitted, and later is inserted, “Lord, keep this nation under your care.”
People: And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Officiant: Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
People: And make thy chosen people joyful.
Officiant: O Lord, save thy people.
People: And bless thine inheritance.
Officiant: Give peace in our time, O Lord.
People: Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
Officiant: O God, make clean our hearts within us.
People: And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
THE COLLECTS
In this recording, a collect for the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed is used.
ETERNAL God, our maker and redeemer, grant us, with all the faithful departed, the sure benefits of your Son's saving passion and glorious resurrection that, in the last day, when you gather up all things in Christ, we may with them enjoy the fullness of your promises; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Motet
The Deer’s Cry
Arvo Pärt
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in me, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me,
Christ with me.
From St. Patrick’s Breastplate
a prayer of st. chrysostom
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee; and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.
Amen.
hymn
All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night
Tallis’ Canon
arr. Michael Leighton Jones
Final Responses
Officiant: The Lord be with you
People: And with thy spirit.
Officiant: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Trivium
Arvo Pärt
Cover image: “Starry Night” by Jean-François Millet