Sunday
Services
Service
of Matins
Weddings
Baptisms
(Christenings)
Choral
Evensong
| ©2018 St. Blasius Old Parish Church, Shanklin
Choral Evensong
What a delight and privilege it was to sing a proper Choral Evensong in our
ancient and lovely church! Especially wonderful was the fact that all the singers
and the organist are our own church members. Soloists, cantor, ensemble - what
a talented bunch - we are very lucky indeed.
Evensong as a service was formed from the ancient monastic Office of Vespers
and Compline, and we used the order of service from the Book of Common
Prayer 1662. The service offers the chance to reflect on the work of the day and
look forward to the rest of the night to come. It is a service of thanksgiving and
praise, petitions and prayers. The hymns were chosen to reflect this.
We tried to include beautiful music from all periods. The introit anthem by
Gibbons (d. 1625) was given a modern slant by David Blackford, a modern
composer, who still respected the style of the original. The anthem proper, "sung
in places where they have quires", was also by a modern composer, Peter
Hurford
The main canticles, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, were written by Thomas
Attwood Walmisley, (d.1856). Walmisley, appointed Professor of Music at
Cambridge at the tender age of 22, was a superb organist, choir trainer and
composer. He sadly suffered badly from depression, and the world of church
music reputedly owes a great debt to his friend, who rescued his "Evening Service
in D" from the waste paper basket where Walmisley had "filed" it. He died 4
months later at the age of 42.
We used the setting of the Preces (petitions) and Responses by composer William
Smith (d. 1645), a chorister, minor canon and Precentor of Durham Cathedral.
He was much influenced by Gibbons, and gives away his Northern roots by
giving the word "spirit" two syllables and notes. This is unusual as other composers of the period from London and the south usually
only allow one "sprit"
We are very lucky to have an organist of Lawrence's calibre, and it was so atmospheric to begin the service with Parry's prelude
"Eventide", better known as "Abide with me". We ended in very dramatic fashion with Olivier Messaien's "The Children of God". This
was very difficult music, requiring great expertise and long fingers! Well done, Lawrence. Thanks must also go to Erles, who has
practised patiently with us for weeks now, suffering some very unmusical sounds on the way. His ears have been much offended!
Thank you to the PCC and Tony for allowing us to do this service, to Annette for printing the booklets, to Ces for the lovely posters, to Jo
for refreshments and Brian for reading and anyone who helped in any way, including attending! It was hard work but we hope you will
agree it was worth it.
Coral, and the St Blasius' choir
23 July 2017
Sunday
Services
Service
of Matins
Weddings
Baptisms
(Christenings)
Choral
Evensong