Christ Episcopal Church to offer Advent music programs
Christ Episcopal Church will host a series of Advent music programs and Evensong services during the season of Advent.
Beginning Sunday, a program of seasonal Advent music will be offered at 4 p.m. An Evensong service follows at 4:30. Proof of vaccination (card or photo of card) will be required at the door. Masks must be worn by all indoors and socially distanced seating will be provided. Enter through the side entrance (15th Street) through Lewis Hall. There will be only one entrance (the front doors will be closed).
The music programs feature: Nov. 28, Merry Phillips, organ; Dec. 5, Doug Moorehead, organ; Dec. 12, Tre Amici (Helen Winfrey, clarinet, Nancy Streufert, flute, and Merry Phillips, piano); and Dec. 19, Paul VandenBranden and Merry Phillips, organ; and Paul Gossard, guitar.
The service of Evensong was first introduced during the Reformation, in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, the first English (i.e., as opposed to Latin) prayer book. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer reduced the total number of daily Roman monastic offices from nine to two, and the two new English services, Morning Prayer (Matins) and Evening Prayer (Evensong), have been said or sung daily, nearly unchanged, in Anglican houses of worship ever since.
They consist of lessons from the Old and New Testaments, psalms, prayers, responses, and canticles (literally “little songs”).
In nearly all U.K. Anglican cathedrals, most college chapels, and many larger parish churches, Choral Evensong is still sung at the end of every working day about 5:30 p.m.
Evensong at Christ Church will be a short (about 30-minute) service incorporating elements from the Daily Evening Prayer service. The service will be officiated by the Rev. Dr. Daniel London and the Rev. Lesley McCloghrie with the choral parts sung by a schola of Christ Church singers led by David Powell.
For more information on services and other activities at Christ Church during Advent and Christmas, visit https://christchurcheureka.org/.