The Cathedral Choir will sing Choral Evensong for Candlemas Day this Sunday, February 4 at 4pm. Choral Evensong has been in use in the Anglican Church (of which the Episcopal Church is part) since the 1550’s. It is still sung every day in nearly every Cathedral in England.
The Service consists of prayers, two readings from scripture, hymns and texts sung by the Choir. Unlike most other services today, most of Evensong is sung by the Choir alone, giving the congregation a chance for peaceful meditation and reflection.
Music for this Evensong will include the monumental anthem “Seek him that maketh the seven start” by the contemporary UK composer Jonathan Dove. This piece features haunting vocal lines over an organ accompaniment of sparkling virtuosity. Other music will include the Magnificat & Nunc dimittis in F by Harold Fridell, an organist and composer active in New York City in the middle of the Twentieth Century.
Evensong will be preceded by refreshments in the Cathedral undercroft beginning at 3pm, where sherry and soft drinks will be served. Both the reception and the Evensong are free and open to all. The Cathedral is located on Cathedral Avenue and Fifth Street in Garden City.