Radio 3 broadcasts centenary Evensong live from the Abbey

The service was sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by Organist & Master of the Choristers Andrew Nethsingha. It included music by Howells and Parry, whose repertoire has featured prominently over the last century, together with the world premier of an introit composed especially for the occasion by Kerensa Briggs. 

The BBC first broadcast Choral Evensong nationally on 7 October 1926 in a service live from Westminster Abbey. On the exact date of the 100th anniversary, the world’s longest-running outside broadcast programme returned to the Abbey for this special celebratory service to mark the occasion.

Apart from a short break in 1970 and some disruption during the Covid pandemic, Choral Evensong has been broadcast every week since its very first transmission. 

Even during the war years Choral Evensong maintained its position in the schedules - although for two years from 1940 to 1942 the venues were not revealed by Radio Times and the programme was listed simply as coming from 'a Public School Chapel' or 'a Western or Northern Cathedral'. Over 80 different cathedrals, churches and chapels have since been visited.

Discover more

Listen to the service on BBC Sounds