NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Evening Prayer (Anglican)

Evening Prayer is a liturgy used in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition, such as the Continuing Anglican Movement) used in the late afternoon or evening. It is also commonly known as Evensong, especially (but not exclusively) when the office is rendered chorally (that is, when most of the service is sung by the choir and clergy alone). It is roughly the equivalent of Vespers in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran churches, although it was originally formed by combining the Catholic offices of vespers and compline. Although many churches now take their services from Common Worship or other modern prayer books, if a church has a choir, Choral Evensong from the Book of Common Prayer is often retained because of the greater musical provision. Evening Prayer, like Mattins (and in contrast to the Eucharist), can be led by a layperson, and is recited by some devout Anglicans daily in private (clergy in many Anglican jurisdictions are required to do so). From the Greek word Î»ÎµÎ¹Ï„Î¿Ï…ÏÎ³Î¯Î±, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning a public work, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), or a daily activity such as... The Anglican Communion uses the compass rose as its symbol, signifying its worldwide reach and decentralized nature. ... The Continuing Anglican Movement is a group of Christian churches which follow the Anglican tradition but which split from one or another province of the Anglican Communion because of its perceived rejection of orthodoxy. ... A choir or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. ... Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins and sees itself as the same Church founded by Jesus of Nazareth and maintained through Apostolic Succession from the Twelve... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Compline or Complin is the final church service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. ... Common Worship is a series of books of services and prayers, known as a liturgy, published by the Church of England. ...

1 Book of Common Prayer service
2 Episcopal Church USA service
3 Book of Alternative Services
4 Common Worship
5 Music
6 See also
- 6.1 External links

Book of Common Prayer service

The service of Evening Prayer, according to traditional prayer books such as the 1662 English or 1959 Canadian Book of Common Prayer, is similar in structure to the equivalent Morning Prayer (or Mattins), but with different canticles and with evening-specific collects. Until the 1960s Morning Prayer was the usual morning service in all but very high church parishes, with the Eucharist celebrated as the main morning service once per month or even quarterly. With the virtual disappearance of the service of Morning Prayer, Evensong takes on a special character it formerly lacked. 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... Morning Prayer, in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, also known as Mattins or Matins, was, until the last quarter of the 20th century, the main Sunday morning service most Sundays in all but the most high church Anglican parishes, with Holy Communion being the main Sunday morning service once...

It is made up of the following elements:

A penitential introduction, including the General Confession and the Lord's Prayer.
Preces — a series of responsory prayers.
A portion of the psalter, usually two or three psalms.
Two lessons (readings) from the Bible. The first is usually taken from the Old Testament and the second from the New Testament. Each lesson is followed by (one of):
Two canticles, usually the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, but the various Books of Common Prayer from different countries often offer an enlarged list of options.
The Apostles' Creed.
Several prayers and responses, including the Kyrie eleison and the Lord's Prayer.
An anthem following the third collect ("In quires and places where they sing, here followeth the anthem," in the famous phraseology of the 1662 edition of the Prayer Book).
Further prayers

The service is normally framed by organ playing before and after an accompanied service. Some institutions have regular unaccompanied evensongs: at Exeter Cathedral, for example, Friday evensongs are usually sung to a cappella settings of the liturgy. The Lords Prayer (Greek Î— ÎšÏ…ÏÎ¹Î±ÎºÎ® Î ÏÎ¿ÏƒÎµÏ…Ï‡Î®) (Latin Oratio Dominica), sometimes also known amongst English speakers as the Pater Imon, the Pater Noster or the Our Father, is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. ... Preces are, in liturgical worship, short petitions that are said or sung as versicle and response by the officiant and congregation respectively. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... Psalms (Hebrew: Tehilim, ×ª×”×™×œ×™×) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. ... The word Bible refers to the canonical collections of sacred writings of Judaism and Christianity. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... A canticle is a hymn (strictly excluding the Psalms) taken from the Bible. ... The Visitation in the Book of Hours of the Duc of Berry The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a canticle frequently sung (or said) liturgically in Christian church services. ... Nunc Dimittis is the Latin name of the passage in the second chapter of Luke that is commonly called the Canticle of Simeon. ... The Apostles Creed (Latin: Symbolum Apostolorum), sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or symbol. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Kyrie is a Greek word that means Lord or Oh, Lord. ... The Lords Prayer (Greek Î— ÎšÏ…ÏÎ¹Î±ÎºÎ® Î ÏÎ¿ÏƒÎµÏ…Ï‡Î®) (Latin Oratio Dominica), sometimes also known amongst English speakers as the Pater Imon, the Pater Noster or the Our Father, is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. ... An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids. ... A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ...

In practice, the penitential introduction is often omitted, and apart from in some cathedrals, usually only one psalm is sung. A sermon or homily may be preached at the end on Sundays or other special occasions, such as important feast days, but does not form a set part of the liturgy. Also, one or more congregational hymns may be added to the service. In Anglo-Catholic churches, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament frequently follows Evensong. A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishops seat. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... ... A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of church worship service. ...

Episcopal Church USA service

In ECUSA, like the Eucharist, the Burial of the Dead, and A Penitential Order, Morning and Evening Prayer are given in the 1979 US Book of Common Prayer in two forms: "Rite One" and "Rite Two". The Episcopal Church or the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America is the American Church of the Anglican Communion. ... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ...

Rite One is a significantly simplified version of the the traditional order for Evening Prayer. It is somewhat similar to the traditional Prayer Book rite, but the Confession of Sin has been truncated, the Phos Hilaron may be said, and only one reading need be used. The Magnificat and Nunc dimittis may both be used, or one of them may be used, or an alternative canticle may be used. The remainder of the service is similar to the traditional form. Phos Hilaron (Î¦Ï‰Ï‚ Î™Î»Î±ÏÎ¿Î½) is an ancient Christian hymn originally written in New Testament Greek. ...

Rite Two is substantially similar, but is rendered in modern language.

The ECUSA BCP also offers an "Order of Worship for the Evening", which may be used as a service in itself or as an introduction to Evening Prayer.

Book of Alternative Services

The Book of Alternative Services of the Anglican Church of Canada provides a simple version of Evening Prayer. The service may begin with the Service of Light or the Penitential Rite. Otherwises, it commences with the Preces and the Phos hilaron. The Psalms are said followed by one or more readings and one or more canticles. The Apostle's Creed or the Summary of the Law is said, and then Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be offered. The Collect of the Day may follow. The service concludes with the Lord' Prayer and Dismissal. The Book of Alternative Services is the contemporary, inclusive-language liturgical book used alongside the Book of Common Prayer (1962) in a number of parishes of the Anglican Church of Canada. ... Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada (the ACC) is the Canadian branch of the Anglican Communion. ...

A special form of Evensong, the "Vigil of the Resurrection" is provided for use on Saturdays.

Common Worship

Evening Prayer in the Common Worship books of the Church of England follows this pattern: Common Worship is a series of books of services and prayers, known as a liturgy, published by the Church of England. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ...

an Opening responsory
a thanksgiving prayer (and/or) a hymn (and/or) a canticle

(Instead of the preceding, a Form of Penitence and/or the Blessing of the Light may be used)

Psalms
a canticle (optional)
Reading/s
Suffrages (optional)
the Gospel Canticle (usually the Magnificat, sometimes the Nunc dimittis)
Thanksgivings, Intercessions, Prayers (including the Collect of the Day)
The Lord's Prayer and the Grace conclude the liturgy.

Provision is also made for the continued use of the form found in the Alternative Service Book, which is largely a contemporary rewording of the Prayer Book rite. The Alternative Service book 1980 was the first complete prayer book produced by the Church of England since 1662. ...

Music

In a fully choral service of evensong, all of the service except the penitential introduction, lessons, the creed and some of the prayers are typically sung by the officiating cleric (or a lay cantor) and the choir. Musical settings for Evensong (or "Evening Service") have been written by many English composers, including William Byrd, Daniel Purcell, Adrian Batten, and Charles Villiers Stanford. At a particular service, the preces and responses will normally have been set by one composer, the canticles by another and the anthem by a third. A cantor is a musician working in a church with responsibilities for the singing in the church. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... William Byrd William Byrd (1540? â€“ 4 July 1623) was one of the most celebrated English composers of the Renaissance. ... Daniel Purcell (1664 - November 26, 1717), was an English composer, the younger brother of Henry Purcell. ... Adrian Batten (c1591 - c1637) was an English organist and Anglican church composer. ... Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (September 30, 1852 â€“ 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer. ...

As an ordinary service, Evensong will start with the preces and responses and proceed with the canticles and psalm set to Anglican chant, with an anthem after the Third Collect. Anglican chant is a method of singing prose translations of the Psalms used in the Anglican church. ...

In cathedrals, or on particularly important days in the church calendar, the canticles, the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis, are performed in more elaborate settings. Many composers including Herbert Howells, Michael Tippett, Thomas Tallis, Healey Willan, Orlando Gibbons, Henry Purcell, John Tavener have set these texts (some on more than one occasion). They may be in through-composed form which becomes an autonomous piece of music suitable for concert as well as liturgical performance or they may take the form of elaborations of the various forms of chant to which the texts are set, such as faux bourdons for plainchant. Herbert (Norman) Howells (17 October 1892â€”23 February 1983) was an English composer and teacher. ... Sir Michael Kemp Tippett, O.M. (2 January 1905 â€“ 8 January 1998) was one of the foremost English composers of the 20th century. ... Thomas Tallis Thomas Tallis (c 1505â€“23 November 1585) was an English composer. ... Healey Willan, CC (October 12, 1880 - February 16, 1968) was a Canadian organist and composer. ... Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons (baptised December 25, 1583 â€“ June 5, 1625) was an English composer and organist of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods. ... Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (IPA: [1]; September 10 (?) [2], 1659â€“November 21, 1695), a Baroque composer, is generally considered to be one of Englands greatest composersâ€”indeed, he has often been called Englands finest native composer. ... Sir John Tavener (born 28 January 1944 in London) is an English composer. ... Faux bourdon (also commonly fauxbourdon) - French for wrong buzz - is a technique of musical harmonisation used in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. ...

Both the anthem and the canticles may use settings by composers from outside the Anglican tradition.

In extremely high church parishes Evensong may have plainchant substituted for Anglican chant and may conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (sometimes called "Devotions") and the carrying of the reserved sacrament under a humeral veil from the high altar to an altar of repose, to the accompaniment of music. Broadly speaking, plainsong is the name given to the body of traditional songs used in the liturgies of the Catholic Church. ... The altar of repose is an altar in a Catholic church where the Communion host, consecrated in the Mass on Holy Thursday, is reserved until the Mass of the Presanctified on the following day, Good Friday. ...

The service may also include hymns. The first of these may be called the Office Hymn, and will usually be particularly closely tied to the liturgical theme of the day, and may be an ancient plainchant setting. This will usually be sung just before the psalm(s) or immediately before the first canticle and may be sung by the choir alone. Otherwise any hymns normally come toward the end of the service, maybe one either side of the sermon (if there is one), or following the anthem. These hymns will generally be congregational. From the Greek word Î»ÎµÎ¹Ï„Î¿Ï…ÏÎ³Î¯Î±, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning a public work, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), or a daily activity such as...

Most cathedrals of the Church of England, from where the service originates, and a large number of college chapels in the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge offer this service regularly, often daily. In other provinces of the Anglican Communion, such as the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, the Anglican Church of Australia, and the Anglican Church of Canada, it is offered less often, although many parishes do hold special Evensong services occasionally. There are some notable exceptions, including Washington National Cathedral, which holds the service five times a week, and Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York, which holds it four times each week, as well as Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, St. John's Cathedral in Brisbane, St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, St Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide, St. James' Cathedral in Toronto, St John's Cathedral in St. John's, Newfoundland and Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, and most of the larger churches and cathedrals of the Church of Ireland, all of which hold the service at least twice a week. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... An ecclesiastical province is a unit of religious government existing in certain Christian churches. ... The Anglican Communion uses the compass rose as its symbol, signifying its worldwide reach and decentralized nature. ... Episcopal Church and Episcopal redirect here. ... Arms of the Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia, a member church of the Anglican Communion, was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania (renamed in 1981). ... Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada (the ACC) is the Canadian branch of the Anglican Communion. ... Washington National Cathedral was the site of two presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald W. Reagan, and a presidential burial in the cathedral mausoleum: Woodrow Wilson. ... Reredos by Lee Lawrie St. ... Nickname: Big Apple; City that never Sleeps; Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Manhattan Queens Brooklyn Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area - City 1,214. ... Grace Cathedral is located on Nob Hill in San Francisco, California. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Area - City 122 kmÂ² (47 sq mi) - Land 121. ... Nickname: City of Good Neighbors, Queen City, City of Light Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Mayor Byron Brown Area - City 136. ... St Johns Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Brisbane, situated on the outskirts of the city centre, and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia, with a population of just under 2. ... St Pauls Cathedral: the north face and the spire St Pauls Cathedral, Melbourne, is the metropolitical and cathedral church of the Anglican diocese of Melbourne, Victoria. ... â€¹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... St Peters Cathedral St. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... St. ... The Cathedral of St. ... St. ... Newfoundland â€” (stress on final syllable; for mispronunciations, see Newfoundland travel guide from Wikitravel)â€” (French: , Irish: ) is a large island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Christ Church Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia; one of two cathedrals in the Diocese of New Westminster. ... This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ... Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (Irish: Eaglais na hÃ‰ireann) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ...

BBC Radio 3 broadcasts choral evensong on a Wednesday afternoon at 16.00 UK time (and occasionally also on Sunday evening). This usually comes live from an English cathedral or collegiate institution. However, it is occasionally a recording, or is replaced by a different form of service or a service from a church elsewhere in the world and/or of another denomination. The most recent broadcast is available on the BBC's "Listen Again" service for up to a week after the original broadcast. BBC Radio 3 is a domestic UK BBC radio station, which devotes most of its schedule to classical music. ...

Contents

Book of Common Prayer service GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Episcopal Church USA service

Book of Alternative Services

Common Worship

Music

See also

External links

Book of Common Prayer service