Category: Choral Evensong

Categories
Choral Evensong

Sunday 2nd July 2023 – 15:15

Order of Service

Donate

God has been worshipped in this place through the prayers and praises of countless generations. Worship lies at the heart of our life as Christians and we express our theology and belief through our liturgy. It is through these liturgical patterns of words and actions that we are formed and transformed.

Should you wish to translate this order of service into another language, please choose your language in the bottom right. There is a guest wireless network available within the Cathedral for those without a mobile data connection.

Please note that this service may be live streamed for our online congregation. By participating in this service, you acknowledge that you may be visible or audible. If you are uncomfortable about this possibility, please speak to a steward or verger, who will be able to advise further.

The ministry of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is made possible entirely through the support of individuals like you. The donations which we receive from people all over the world support our worship and music tradition, education programmes, and community outreach work, as well as contributing towards the vast cost of maintaining this historic building. Should you wish to donate online, please tap the donate button. 

Choral Evensong at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is a tiny fragment of something else: it is part of the worship which is offered to God by people every hour of the day and night, in every corner of the world. When you come to Evensong here, it is as if you are dropping in on a conversation already in progress – a conversation between God and his people. So do not be surprised or concerned if there are some parts that you do not understand straight away.

Evensong is drawn almost entirely from the Bible. Much of the language spoken and sung in this service is that spoken by worshippers more than four hundred years ago. It may sound old-fashioned, but its meaning is not out of date. We invite you to allow the music and words to speak to you in the beauty and peace of this place.

You are invited to say the text in bold in English.

Please stand as the Minister, at the West End of the Cathedral, sings

Let us pray. 

Please remain standing whilst the Choir and Clergy enter the stalls

Please remain standing to sing the

Hymn

1. Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armour on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies
Through his eternal Son;

2. Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in his mighty power:
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts
Is more than conqueror.

3. Stand then, in his great might,
With all his strength endued;
And take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God.

4. Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul:
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole.

5. From strength to strength go on,
Wrestle and fight and pray;
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day;

6. That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts past,
Ye may o’ercome, through Christ alone,
And stand complete at last.

Charles Wesley (1707–88)

William Monk (1823–89)

Please stand.

The Minister and Choir sing the

Preces & Responses

O Lord, open thou our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.

The Lord’s Name be praised.

William Byrd (1539/40-1623)

Please sit as the Choir sings the 

PSALM 12

Salvum me fac.

Help me, Lord, for there is not one godly man left: for the faithful are minished from among the children of men.  They talk of vanity every one with his neighbour: they do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart.  The Lord shall root out all deceitful lips: and the tongue that speaketh proud things.  Which have said, With our tongue will we prevail: we are they that ought to speak, who is lord over us?  Now for the comfortless troubles’ sake of the needy: and because of the deep sighing of the poor,  I will up, saith the Lord: and will help every one from him that swelleth against him, and will set him at rest.  The words of the Lord are pure words: even as the silver, which from the earth is tried, and purified seven times in the fire.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord: thou shalt preserve him from this generation for ever.  The ungodly walk on every side: when they are exalted, the children of men are put to rebuke.

Please stand for

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Please sit for the

1 Samuel 28: 3-19

 

Please stand as the Choir sings 

Magnificat

Third Service; Philip Moore (b.1943)

Please sit for the 

Luke 17: 20-37

 

Please stand as the Choir sings 

Nunc Dimittis

Third Service; Philip Moore (b.1943)

Please remain standing to say the 

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints: the forgiveness of sins: the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Minister and Choir sing the 

Suffrages & Responses

The Lord be with you.

And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Please kneel or sit, according to your custom

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.

And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, guide and defend our rulers.

And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.

And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.

And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.

Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.

And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

The Minister intones the 

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord. Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Amen.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

William Byrd (1539/40-1623)

Please sit as the Choir sings the

Anthem

Locus iste a Deo factus est inaestimabile sacramentum: irreprehensibilis est.

(The dwelling which God has made his own is inestimably sacred: beyond reproach.)

Anton Bruckner (1824–96)

The Minister says 

Let us pray.

Please kneel or remain seated for the 

Prayers

At the end, all say

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, evermore. Amen.

Please stand to sing

Hymn

During this hymn a collection of money is made. If you would like to donate securely online, tap the button below.

Donate

1. At even, when the sun did set,
The sick, O Lord, around thee lay;
O, in what diverse pains they met!
O, with what joy they went away!

2. Once more ’tis eventide, and we,
Oppressed with various ills, draw near;
What if thy form we cannot see!
We know and feel that thou art here.

3. O Saviour Christ, our woes dispel;
For some are sick, and some are sad;
And some have never loved thee well,
And some have lost the love they had;

4. And some have found the world is vain,
And yet from the world they break not free;
And some have friends who give them pain,
Yet have not sought a friend in thee.

5. And none, O Lord, have perfect rest,
For none are wholly free from sin;
And they who fain would serve thee best
Are conscious most of wrong within.

6. O Saviour Christ, thou too art Man;
Thou has been troubled, tempted, tried;
Thy kind but searching glance can scan
The very wounds that shame would hide.

7. Thy touch has still its ancient power;
No word from thee can fruitless fall:
Hear in this solemn evening hour,
And in thy mercy heal us all.

Henry Twells (1823–1900) Cantica Spiritualia, Munich (1847)

Please remain standing for the

Blessing

Please remain at your seat for the duration of the

Organ Voluntary

Donate