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.

During the Abbey Choir's vacation we welcome visiting choirs from the United Kingdom and beyond to lead the music at our services. The service is sung by The Rodolfus Choir.

Following the service a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between The Honeypot Children's Charity and the work of the Abbey. Honeypot works to enhance the lives of young carers aged 5–12 years by providing respite breaks and ongoing outreach support.

Order of Service

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: Bernard Rose (1916–96)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 106

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious : and his mercy endureth for ever.
Who can express the noble acts of the Lord : or shew forth all his praise?
Blessed are they that alway keep judgement : and do righteousness.
Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people : O visit me with thy salvation;
that I may see the felicity of thy chosen : and rejoice in the gladness of thy people, and give thanks with thine inheritance.
We have sinned with our fathers : we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly.
Our fathers regarded not thy wonders in Egypt, neither kept they thy great goodness in remembrance : but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless, he helped them for his name's sake : that he might make his power to be known.
He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up : so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.
And he saved them from the adversary's hand : and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them : there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words : and sang praise unto him.
But within a while they forgat his works : and would not abide his counsel.
But lust came upon them in the wilderness : and they tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their desire : and sent leanness withal into their soul.
They angered Moses also in the tents : and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
So the earth opened, and swallowed up Dathan : and covered the congregation of Abiram.
And the fire was kindled in their company : the flame burnt up the ungodly.
They made a calf in Horeb : and worshipped the molten image.
Thus they turned their glory : into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay.
And they forgat God their Saviour : who had done so great things in Egypt;
wondrous works in the land of Ham : and fearful things by the Red sea.
So he said, he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap : to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.
Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land : and gave no credence unto his word;
but murmured in their tents : and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
Then lift he up his hand against them : to overthrow them in the wilderness;
to cast out their seed among the nations : and to scatter them in the lands.
They joined themselves unto Baal-peor : and ate the offerings of the dead.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their own inventions : and the plague was great among them.
Then stood up Phinees and prayed : and so the plague ceased.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness : among all posterities for evermore.
They angered him also at the waters of strife : so that he punished Moses for their sakes;
because they provoked his spirit : so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
Neither destroyed they the heathen : as the Lord commanded them;
but were mingled among the heathen : and learned their works.
Insomuch that they worshipped their idols, which turned to their own decay : yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils;
and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters : whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was defiled with blood.
Thus were they stained with their own works : and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people : insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
And he gave them over into the hand of the heathen : and they that hated them were lords over them.
Their enemies oppressed them : and had them in subjection.
Many a time did he deliver them : but they rebelled against him with their own inventions, and were brought down in their wickedness.
Nevertheless, when he saw their adversity : he heard their complaint.
He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them, according unto the multitude of his mercies : yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.
Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen : that we may give thanks unto thy holy name, and make our boast of thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end : and let all the people say, Amen.

All stand

Chants: Hubert Parry (1848–1918), after Henry Purcell (1659–95) Organist of Westminster Abbey 1679–95, and Joseph Barnby (1838–96)

All sit for the first Lesson, Isaiah 43: 14–21

Thus says the Lord,
   your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
   and break down all the bars,
   and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
   the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus says the Lord,
   who makes a way in the sea,
   a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
   army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
   they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
   or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me,
   the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
   rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
   the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Gloucester Service, Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

All sit for the second Lesson, Revelation 1: 4–end

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

'I am the Alpha and the Omega', says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, 'Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.'

Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive for ever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Gloucester Service, Herbert Howells

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, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; we humbly beseech thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. 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: Bernard Rose

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Te lucis ante terminum
Rerum creator poscimus
Ut pro tua clementia
Sis praesul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia
Et noctium phantasmata
Hostemque nostrum comprime
Ne polluantur corpora.

Praesta, Pater piissime
Patrique compar unice
Cum Spiritu Paraclito
Regnans per omne saeculum.
   Amen.

Before the ending of the day, we beseech you, O Maker of all, that in your mercy you would be our guide and protector.

Let dreams and nightly fantasms be put far from us, and restrain our Enemy lest our bodies be defiled.

Protect us, O holy Father, who, coequal with the Son and with the Holy Spirit the Advocate, reign throughout all ages. Amen.

Words: Office hymn at Compline
Music: 'Evening Hymn' H Balfour Gardiner (1877–1950)

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

Good Christians all, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King:
to all the world glad news we bring:
   Alleluia!

The Lord of Life is risen for ay:
bring flowers of song to strew his way;
let all the earth rejoice and say:
   Alleluia!

Praise we in songs of victory
that Love, that Life, which cannot die,
and sing with hearts uplifted high:
   Alleluia!

Thy name we bless, O risen Lord,
and sing today with one accord
the life laid down, the life restored:
   Alleluia!

Words: Cyril Alington (1872–1955)
Tune: 'Gelobt sei Gott' 107 NEH, Melchior Vulpius (c 1570–1615)

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

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

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