Welcome to Choral Evensong

On Sunday 27 April 2025 our quarterly Benefice Choral Evensong will be held at St Mary's Church, Chalgrove. The service will start at 4 pm and will last for approximately 45 minutes, followed by refreshments.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, bow down before him, his glory proclaim. (J.S.B. Monsell)

The service of Evensong is a quintessentially Anglican Service! It was compiled by Archbishop Cranmer in the sixteenth century, from much earlier monastic services of evening prayer and night prayer (Compline), which is why it contains canticles (The Magnificat, The Nunc Dimittis) from both services. An interesting article describing Evensong can be found here.

The beauty of Evensong is its simplicity: solemn worship is offered to God, with all the resources and creativity at our disposal. This is our core purpose as God’s creatures, and points, as does our building, to our belief in the centrality of God in the life of every community, including Chalgrove and Berrick Salome.

The essence of this service is praise: the words of the Psalms, inspired by God, carry our minds and hearts into the worship of God. Readings from Scripture direct us to our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. And The Blessed Virgin Mary’s great song of triumph, The Magnificat, points us to the new relationship with God which he brings about. The prayers and responses commit us to the life of service to which Christians are called.

We live in a busy world; it is our prayer that this act of worship may both glorify God and provide an opportunity for the recharging of spiritual batteries.

When and where do we have Evensong?

St Mary’s, Chalgrove:

The last Sunday in April, at 4pm

The last Sunday in October, at 4pm

St Helen’s, Berrick Salome:

The last Sunday in January, at 4pm

The last Sunday in July, at 4pm

You are warmly invited to stay for refreshments (usually fizz and nibbles) following the service.