April 26, 2020 - Evensong

(Recorded at the Cathedral of St. Philip on April 22, 2018, with the Reverend Canon Catherine Zappa and the Cathedral Schola)

In this traditional season of Easter and this newer “season of social distance,” we hope that the music and prayers of this Solemn Evensong (sung Evening Prayer), recorded during Easter 2018, are a source of comfort, peace, and holy company for your soul.

The Procession

The Opening Sentences

The Invitatory and Psalter

The Cantor and Choir sing

The Preces and Responses

music: Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)

V. O Lord, open thou our lips:

R. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

V. O God, make speed to save us:

R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

V. Praise ye the Lord.

R. The Lord’s Name be praised.

You may want to light candles at home during the

Office Hymn 237

music: Gaudeamus pariter, melody from Medieval [German or] Bohemian Carol Melody, 1544; harm. Songs of Syon, 1904 words: Joseph the Hymnographer (9th cent.); tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), alt.

The Choir sings

Psalm 3

Anglican chant: C. Hylton Stewart BCP, p. 587

1 Lord, how many adversaries I have! * how many there are who rise up against me!

2 How many there are who say of me, * “There is no help for him in his God.”

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me; * you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.

4 I call aloud upon the Lord, * and he answers me from his holy hill;

5 I lie down and go to sleep; * I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I do not fear the multitudes of people * who set themselves against me all around.

7 Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God; * surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Deliverance belongs to the Lord. * Your blessing be upon your 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, world without end. Amen.

The Lessons

The First Lesson: Revelation 12:7–12

Lector: A Lesson from The Revelation to John.

And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Lector: Here ends the lesson.

The Magnificat

music: William Walton’s Chichester Service words: Song of Mary, Luke 1:46-55

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 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 Second Lesson: John 8:21-29

Lector: A Lesson from The Gospel of John.

Again he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”

Lector: Here ends the lesson.

The Nunc Dimittis

music: William Walton’s Chichester Service words: Song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32

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 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.

All sing

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

The Cantor and Choir sing

The Preces and Responses

music: Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

V. Let us pray.

R. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. 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 them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us:

R. And grant us thy salvation.

V. O Lord, save the State:

R. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

V. Endue thy ministers with righteousness:

R. And make thy chosen people joyful.

V. O Lord, save thy people:

R. And bless thine inheritance.

V. Give peace in our time, O Lord:

R. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

V. O God, make clean our hearts within us:

R. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

The Collects

Almighty God, who didst commission thy holy martyr George to bear before the rulers of this world the banner of the cross: Strengthen us in our battles against the great serpent of sin and evil, that we too may attain the crown of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lord God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ triumphed over the powers of death and prepared for us our place in the new Jerusalem: Grant that we, who have this day given thanks for his resurrection, may praise thee in that City of which he is the light; and where he liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. 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 Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Anthem after the Third Collect

music: Gabriel Jackson (b. 1962), A Prayer of King Henry VI words: King Henry VI (1421-1471)

Domine Jesu Christe, qui me creasti, redemisti, et praeordinasti ad hoc quod sum, tu scis quid de me facere vis; fac de me secundum voluntatem tuam, cum misericordia. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst create me, and redeem me, and hast foreordained me to that which I am. Thou knowest what Thou wilt do with me; do with me according to thy will, and show me thy mercy, Lord. Amen.

All sing

Hymn 565

music: Monk’s Gate, Sussex folk melody; adapt. and arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) words: Percy Dearmer (1867-1936), after John Bunyan (1628-1688)

The Offertory Sentence

Anthem at the Offering

music: C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918), I Was Glad When They Said unto Me words: Psalm 122:1-3, 6, 7

I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is at unity in itself. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.

The Intercessions

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Officiant: Let us pray.

All: 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.

The Grace

All sing

The Closing Hymn 597

music: O filii et filiae, melody from Airs sur les hymnes sacrez, odes et noëls, 1623; acc. Richard Proulx (1937-2010) words: Att. Jean Tisserand (15th cent.); tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

The Psalm in Procession 150

Anglican chant: George S. Talbot BCP, p. 807

Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy temple; praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him for his excellent greatness. Praise him with the blast of the ram’s-horn; praise him with lyre and harp. Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe. Praise him with resounding cymbals; praise him with loud-clanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah! 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.

All music is reprinted by permission under www.OneLicense.net (license number A-717455). Music from The Hymnal 1982 © Church Publishing, Inc.