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 Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your restraint be known unto all men, the Lord is even at hand. Be careful for nothing: but in all prayer and supplication, let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu. Amen.

Words: Philippians 4: 4–7
John Sheppard (c 1515–58)

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: plainsong

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 105

O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his name : tell the people what things he hath done.
O let your songs be of him, and praise him : and let your talking be of all his wondrous works.
Rejoice in his holy name : let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and his strength : seek his face evermore.
Remember the marvellous works that he hath done : his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth,
O ye seed of Abraham his servant : ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God : his judgements are in all the world.
He hath been alway mindful of his covenant and promise : that he made to a thousand generations;
even the covenant that he made with Abraham : and the oath that he sware unto Isaac;
and appointed the same unto Jacob for a law : and to Israel for an everlasting testament;
saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan : the lot of your inheritance;
when there were yet but a few of them : and they strangers in the land;
what time as they went from one nation to another : from one kingdom to another people;
he suffered no man to do them wrong : but reproved even kings for their sakes;
Touch not mine Anointed : and do my prophets no harm.
Moreover, he called for a dearth upon the land : and destroyed all the provision of bread.
But he had sent a man before them : even Joseph, who was sold to be a bond-servant;
whose feet they hurt in the stocks : the iron entered into his soul;
until the time came that his cause was known : the word of the Lord tried him.
The king sent, and delivered him : the prince of the people let him go free.
He made him lord also of his house : and ruler of his substance;
that he might inform his princes after his will : and teach his senators wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt : and Jacob was a stranger in the land of Ham.
And he increased his people exceedingly : and made them stronger than their enemies;
whose heart turned, so that they hated his people : and dealt untruly with his servants.
Then sent he Moses his servant : and Aaron whom he had chosen.
And these shewed his tokens among them : and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and it was dark : and they were not obedient unto his word.
He turned their waters into blood : and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs : yea, even in their kings' chambers.
He spake the word, and there came all manner of flies : and lice in all their quarters.
He gave them hail-stones for rain : and flames of fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and fig-trees : and destroyed the trees that were in their coasts.
He spake the word, and the grasshoppers came, and caterpillars innumerable : and did eat up all the grass in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote all the first-born in their land : even the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold : there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Egypt was glad at their departing : for they were afraid of them.
He spread out a cloud to be a covering : and fire to give light in the night-season.
At their desire he brought quails : and he filled them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock of stone, and the waters flowed out : so that rivers ran in the dry places.
For why? he remembered his holy promise : and Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy : and his chosen with gladness;
and gave them the lands of the heathen : and they took the labours of the people in possession;
that they might keep his statutes : and observe his laws.

All stand

Chant: plainsong

All sit for the first Lesson, Zechariah 14: 4–11

The Lord's feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that half of the Mount shall withdraw northwards, and the other half southwards. And you shall flee by the valley of the Lord's mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal; and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light.

On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter.

And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine presses. And it shall be inhabited, for never again shall it be doomed to destruction; Jerusalem shall abide in security.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Service in A, Philip Moore (b 1943)

All sit for the second Lesson, Revelation 22: 1–7

The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.

And he said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.'

'See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.'

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Service in A, Philip Moore

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.

The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit

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 Advent, for peace, and for aid against all perils

O Lord Jesu Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. 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: plainsong

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Unto him that overcometh shall be given of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. On either side of the river groweth the tree of life: the leaves of the tree are for thy healing. In the midst of that fair city flows the river of water of life, clear as crystal. Who so will, let him take of the water of life freely. Who so drinketh of this water shall never thirst. Take thou the leaves of the tree of life, so shalt thou enter in through the gates of the city.

Words: after verses from Revelation 2, 22
Music: 'The Song of the Tree of Life' Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

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

Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling
the watchmen all the air are filling,
   arise, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight strikes! no more delaying,
'The hour has come!' we hear them saying.
   Where are ye all, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes in sight,
raise high your torches bright!
   Alleluia!
The wedding song
swells loud and strong:
go forth and join the festal throng.

Sion hears the watchmen shouting,
her heart leaps up with joy undoubting,
   she stands and waits with eager eyes;
see her Friend from heaven descending,
adorned with truth and grace unending!
   Her light burns clear, her star doth rise.
Now come, thou precious Crown,
Lord Jesu, God's own Son!
   Hosanna!
Let us prepare
to follow there,
where in thy supper we may share.

Every soul in thee rejoices;
from men and from angelic voices
   be glory given to thee alone!
Now the gates of pearl receive us,
thy presence never more shall leave us,
   we stand with angels round thy throne.
Earth cannot give below
the bliss thou dost bestow.
   Alleluia!
Grant us to raise,
to length of days,
the triumph-chorus of thy praise.

Words: 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' Philipp Nicolai (1556–1608) translated by Francis Burkitt (1864–1935)
Tune: 'Wachet auf' 16 NEH, Philipp Nicolai

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Allegro (Organ Symphony II in E minor Op 20), Louis Vierne (1870–1937)

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

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Hymn covered by Christian Copyright Licensing (International) Ltd are reproduced under CCL no 1040271 and MRL no 1040288. Common Worship (Church House Publishing, 2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council. Scripture Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version.