Welcome to Westminster Abbey. Daily prayer has been offered in this place for over a thousand years, and your participation in today's service is warmly welcomed. At choral Evensong most of the service is sung by the choir on our behalf. We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might become a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory.

The service always includes one or more psalms. These ancient prayers, taken from the Old Testament, reflect the full range of human emotions and experiences; from the depths of anger, resentment, and abandonment to the heights of ecstatic joy and praise. They were used by Jesus, and have always been at the heart of the Church's daily prayer.

The canticles Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55) and Nunc dimittis (Luke 2: 29–32) reflect two responses to the Incarnation (God becoming fully human in Jesus Christ). Both speak of the fulfilment of God's promises, not just to 'Abraham and his seed', but also 'to be a light to lighten the Gentiles' (all nations). With their themes of fulfilment and completion, these texts have been given central place for many centuries in the Church's prayers for the evening and at the end of the day.

Please join in saying the words and singing the hymn printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Following the service a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between The Queen's Commonwealth Trust International and the work of the Abbey. The Queen's Commonwealth Trust supports Young Leaders in the Commonwealth who are transforming their communities.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

O Saviour of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us; save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Words: Acclamation at the Liturgy of Good Friday
Music: 'Salvator Mundi' Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

All remain standing as the officiant introduces the Confession

Beloved, we are come together in the presence of Almighty God and of the whole company of heaven to offer unto him through our Lord Jesus Christ our worship and praise and thanksgiving; to make confession of our sins; to pray, as well for others as for ourselves, that we may know more truly the greatness of God's love and show forth in our lives the fruits of his grace; and to ask on behalf of all people such things as their well-being doth require. Wherefore let us sit or kneel and keep silence, and remember God's presence with us now.

All kneel or sit to say together

O God, our Father,
we have sinned against thee
in thought, word, and deed;
we have not loved thee with all our heart;
we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.
Have mercy upon us, we beseech thee;
cleanse us from our sins;
and help us to overcome our faults;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The officiant gives the Absolution

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant unto you pardon and remission of all your sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All say together the Lord's Prayer

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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

All stand. The officiant and choir sing the Responses

Music: Thomas Morley (c 1557–1602)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 114

When Israel came out of Egypt : and the house of Jacob from among the strange people,
Judah was his sanctuary : and Israel his dominion.
The sea saw that, and fled : Jordan was driven back.
The mountains skipped like rams : and the little hills like young sheep.
What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest : and thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams : and ye little hills, like young sheep?
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord : at the presence of the God of Jacob;
who turned the hard rock into a standing water : and the flint-stone into a springing well.

All stand

Chant: Tonus peregrinus

All sit for the first Lesson, Job 17: 6–end

Job said:
'God has made me a byword of the peoples,
   and I am one before whom people spit.
My eye has grown dim from grief,
   and all my members are like a shadow.
The upright are appalled at this,
   and the innocent stir themselves up against the godless.
Yet the righteous hold to their way,
   and they that have clean hands grow stronger and stronger.
But you, come back now, all of you,
   and I shall not find a sensible person among you.
My days are past, my plans are broken off,
   the desires of my heart.
They make night into day;
   "The light", they say, "is near to the darkness."
If I look for Sheol as my house,
   if I spread my couch in darkness,
if I say to the Pit, "You are my father",
   and to the worm, "My mother", or "My sister",
where then is my hope?
   Who will see my hope?
Will it go down to the bars of Sheol?
   Shall we descend together into the dust?'

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Canticles in E, Sydney Watson (1903–91)

All sit for the second Lesson, John 12: 27–36

Jesus said, 'Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—"Father, save me from this hour"? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.' Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.' The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, 'An angel has spoken to him.' Jesus answered, 'This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.' He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, 'We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?' Jesus said to them, 'The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.'

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Canticles in E, Sydney Watson

All face east to say together 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.

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit. The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The officiant sings the Collects; of the day, of Lent, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ 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.

Music: Thomas Morley

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Vinea mea electa ego te plantavi: quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem, ut me crucifigeres et Barabbam dimitteres. Sepivi te et lapides elegi ex te et aedificavi turrem.

My chosen vine, I planted you: how is it that you have turned to bitterness, so that you would crucify me and release Barabbas? I fenced you round, cleared the stones from you, and built you a tower.

Words: after Isaiah 5: 2 and Mark 15: 11–13
Music: Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

All kneel or remain seated for the Intercessions

The officiant says the Prayers; for the Royal Family, and for the Members of the Order of the Bath

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles, Queen Camilla, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: endue them with thy Holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God save our Gracious Sovereign, and all the Members of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath living and departed. Amen.

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.

All stand to sing the Hymn

Light of the minds that know him:
   may Christ be light to mine;
my sun in risen splendour,
   my light of truth divine;
my guide in doubt and darkness,
   my true and living way,
my clear light ever shining
   my dawn of heaven's day.

Life of the souls that love him:
   may Christ be ours indeed;
the living bread from heaven
   on whom our spirits feed;
who died for love of sinners
   to bear our guilty load,
and make of life's brief journey
   a new Emmaus road.

Strength of the wills that serve him:
   may Christ be strength to me,
who stilled the storm and tempest,
   who calmed the tossing sea;
his Spirit's power to move me,
   his will to master mine,
his cross to carry daily
   and conquer in his sign.

May it be ours to know him
   that we may truly love,
and loving, fully serve him
   as serve the saints above;
till in that home of glory
   with fadeless splendour bright,
we serve in perfect freedom
   our strength, our life, our Light.

Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith (b 1926) after St Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
Tune: 'Meirionydd' 311 NEH, after William Lloyd (1785–1852)

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Psalm Prelude Set 2 no 1 'Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord', Herbert Howells

Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary

CHORISTERSHIPS AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Enquiries are welcomed at any time. 

If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact the Director of Music at St Margaret's, Greg Morris (email). Further details can be found here.

If you have a son who enjoys singing and you would like further details of the world-renowned Abbey Choir and its unique choir school, please click here.

Dr Emma Margrett, Head, Westminster Abbey Choir School, Dean's Yard, London, SW1P 3NY, 020 7222 6151 email

Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, The Chapter Office, 20 Dean's Yard, London, SW1P 3PA, 020 7654 4854 email

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