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 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 USPG and the work of the Abbey. USPG is the Anglican mission agency that partners with churches and communities worldwide in God's mission to enliven faith, strengthen relationships, unlock potential, and champion justice.

The Commonwealth Nations

On the second Monday in March each year, members of all Commonwealth Nations from around the world come together at the Abbey for the Commonwealth Service, in the presence of the Head of the Commonwealth His Majesty King Charles III, in celebration of both their diversity of culture and common purpose. Throughout the year, and to mark an important national day in the life of each Commonwealth Nation, the Abbey is proud to invite High Commissioners or their representatives and their guests to attend Evensong and to pray for their governments and citizens. Today, the Abbey welcomes the Honorary Consul of Solomon Islands to the United Kingdom, Mr John Freeman, on the Independence Day of that realm. The Honorary Consul will read the second lesson.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
  and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house,
  and his banner over me was love.

Words: Song of Solomon 2: 3b–4
Music: Edward Bairstow (1874–1946)

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 37

Fret not thyself because of the ungodly : neither be thou envious against the evil-doers.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass : and be withered even as the green herb.
Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good : dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thou in the Lord : and he shall give thee thy heart's desire.
Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him : and he shall bring it to pass.
He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light : and thy just dealing as the noon-day.
Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him : but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against the man that doeth after evil counsels.
Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure : fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
Wicked doers shall be rooted out : and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone : thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth : and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just : and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh him to scorn : for he hath seen that his day is coming.
The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow : to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation.
Their sword shall go through their own heart : and their bow shall be broken.
A small thing that the righteous hath : is better than great riches of the ungodly.
For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken : and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
The Lord knoweth the days of the godly : and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
They shall not be confounded in the perilous time : and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.
As for the ungodly, they shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs : yea, even as the smoke, shall they consume away.
The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again : but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.
Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land : and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
The Lord ordereth a good man's going : and maketh his way acceptable to himself.
Though he fall, he shall not be cast away : for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old : and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth : and his seed is blessed.
Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good : and dwell for evermore.
For the Lord loveth the thing that is right : he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
The unrighteous shall be punished : as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
The righteous shall inherit the land : and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom : and his tongue will be talking of judgement.
The law of his God is in his heart : and his goings shall not slide.
The ungodly seeth the righteous : and seeketh occasion to slay him.
The Lord will not leave him in his hand : nor condemn him when he is judged.
Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land : when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
I myself have seen the ungodly in great power : and flourishing like a green bay-tree.
I went by, and lo, he was gone : I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right : for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
As for the transgressors, they shall perish together : and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord : who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them : he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.

All stand

Chants: George Martin (1844–1916), Thomas Attwood (1765–1838), and Thomas Rogers (1839–99)

All sit for the first Lesson, Proverbs 9: 1–12

Wisdom has built her house,
   she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
   she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
   from the highest places in the town,
'You that are simple, turn in here!'
   To those without sense she says,
'Come, eat of my bread
   and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
   and walk in the way of insight.'

Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;
   whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.
A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you;
   the wise, when rebuked, will love you.
Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
   teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
   and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
   and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
   if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Service in E, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810–76)

All sit for the second Lesson, 2 Thessalonians 2: 13—3: 5

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Service in E, Samuel Sebastian Wesley

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, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; 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: Bernard Rose

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace;
   whose mind is stayed on thee.

The darkness is no darkness with thee,
   but the night is as clear as the day;
   the darkness and the light to thee are both alike.

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for evermore.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace;
   whose mind is stayed on thee.

Words: Isaiah 26: 3, Psalm 139: 12, 1 John 1: 5b, Psalm 119: 175a, and Matthew 6: 13b in the King James Version
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley

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 as the choir and clergy depart

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

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

If you have a son who enjoys singing, you can find out more information about our world-renowned Abbey Choir and its unique Choir School at choirschool.westminster-abbey.org. Alternatively, please contact Dr Emma Margrett, Headteacher, Westminster Abbey Choir School, and Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, by emailing [email protected].

St Margaret's Choristers

The St Margaret's Choristers were established in 2023, giving an opportunity for girls aged 11–17 to join the rich tradition of choral music in the Abbey and St Margaret's Church; you can find out more about this exciting new venture at westminster-abbey.org/st-margarets-church/music-at-st-margarets. If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who enjoys singing and would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact Greg Morris, Director of Music at St Margaret's Church: [email protected].

If you attend worship at the Abbey regularly, you may like to add this page to your home screen for easy access to our orders of service.

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.