Virtual Evensong Tonight

There were over 950 recorded submissions to the call out by the Rodolfus Foundation to create a Virtual Choral Evensong in lockdown.

Watch it live at 6:30pm on Tuesday 19th May on YouTube or Facebook.

Cathedral choristers past and present – as well as singers and musicians from choirs across the globe – all excited by the virtual Choral Evensong and to be able to sing together despite lockdown.

Like Molly Cochrane, 21 – a former chorister at Wakefield Cathedral, who is now in her third year at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and a senior choral scholar at the Old Royal Naval College in the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir! Oh and Chethams School of Music.

‘I think that being involved in the Rodolfus Virtual Evensong has given so many of us a creative output that as musicians, many of us have deeply missed in this difficult time.

“Singing in a choir is one of life’s great treasures and whilst we all miss it, this Evensong Project has given us the chance to engage in fabulous music making and enjoy the camaraderie and social aspect of singing even in lockdown..

“I’m so excited for the end result tonight; over 950 submissions have been made….. it’s going to be spectacular!’

“For me, being part of a choir is to be part of something much bigger than yourself”  said Sophie Powell, 18.

For more about Choral Evensong, the New Mindfulness visit our page here.

Charlie Trueman, 13 said

“I’m glad we’ve managed to come together to work on such a big project because singing at home on a piano on your own is really not the same as singing with all the different parts coming together making wonderful harmony.”

Elizabeth Lees, 26:  “I have really grown to love and enjoy Evensong because you can go with no focus at all, and yet suddenly find yourself in the music.”

Virtual Choral Evensong – Order of Service
Opening Voluntary – played by James Lancelot, Canon Organist Emeritus at Durham Cathedral.
Introit – Thomas Tallis’ If Ye Love Me, sung by an octet of Rodolfus Choir members.
Preces and Responses – William Smith and Edward Naylor.
Psalms 126 (chant George M. Garrett) and Psalm 133 (chant Edward Elgar), introduced by the Rev’d Tim Harling.
The First Lesson – read by Stephen Fry who has chosen the story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel.
Magnificat – George Dyson’s Evening Service in D, accompanied by Andrew Lumsden, organist and director of music at Winchester Cathedral.
Second Lesson – read by Simon Russell Beale who chose 1 Corinthians 13, read from the Authorised Version of the Bible.
King James Version of 1 Corinthinas: 13.
Nunc Dimittis – Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Hymn – All my hope on God is founded (tune: Michael) by Herbert Howells accompanied by David Goode in Eton College Chapel, and by Oliver Walker at Repton College Chapel for the last verse (descant – John Rutter).
Anthem – Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad, voted for by 450 people, with an introduction by Alexander Armstrong and the semi-chorus section sung by members of VOCES8.
Prayers – collated by the Revd Niall Weir and the blessing is given by the Revd Richard Coles.
Voluntary – JS Bach’s St Anne Prelude played by Mark Shepherd from Charterhouse School Chapel.

More about Choral Evensong here.