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 hymns 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.

During the final hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between Conciliation Resources and the work of the Abbey. Conciliation Resources is an international organisation committed to stopping violent conflict and creating more peaceful societies.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and there shall no torment touch them.
In the sight of the unwise they seem to die,
and their departure is taken for misery,
and their going from us to be utter destruction;
but they are in peace.

Words: Wisdom 3: 1–3
Music: Herbert Murrill (1909–52)

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

The officiant welcomes the congregation

All remain standing as the officiant introduces a general Confession

Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me;

All kneel or sit

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
and there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent;
according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy name.
Amen.

The officiant gives the Absolution

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power and commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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: Philip Radcliffe (1905–86)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 42

Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks : so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God : when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night : while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself : for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;
in the voice of praise and thanksgiving : among such as keep holy-day.
Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul : and why art thou so disquieted within me?
Put thy trust in God : for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
My God, my soul is vexed within me : therefore will I remember thee concerning the land of Jordan, and the little hill of Hermon.
One deep calleth another, because of the noise of the water-pipes : all thy waves and storms are gone over me.
The Lord hath granted his loving-kindness in the daytime : and in the night-season did I sing of him, and made my prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast thou forgotten me : why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword : while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth;
namely, while they say daily unto me : Where is now thy God?
Why art thou so vexed, O my soul : and why art thou so disquieted within me?
O put thy trust in God : for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.

All stand

Chant: Samuel Wesley (1766–1837)

All sit for the first Lesson, Judges 7: 2–22

The Lord said to Gideon, 'The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, "My own hand has delivered me." Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, "Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home."' Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained.

Then the Lord said to Gideon, 'The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, "This one shall go with you", he shall go with you; and when I say, "This one shall not go with you", he shall not go.' So he brought the troops down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, 'All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side.' The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, 'With the three hundred that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes.' So he took the jars of the troops from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel back to their own tents, but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

That same night the Lord said to him, 'Get up, attack the camp; for I have given it into your hand. But if you fear to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah; and you shall hear what they say, and afterwards your hands shall be strengthened to attack the camp.' Then he went down with his servant Purah to the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp. The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the east lay along the valley as thick as locusts; and their camels were without number, countless as the sand on the seashore. When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, 'I had a dream, and in it a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell; it turned upside down, and the tent collapsed.' And his comrade answered, 'This is no other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given Midian and all the army.'

When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, 'Get up; for the Lord has given the army of Midian into your hand.' After he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty jars, with torches inside the jars, he said to them, 'Look at me, and do the same; when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!"'

So Gideon and the hundred who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. So the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, 'A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!' Every man stood in his place all around the camp, and all the men in camp ran; they cried out and fled. When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah towards Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Service in F, George Dyson (1883–1964)

All sit for the second Lesson, John 15: 9–17

Jesus said, 'As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.'

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Service in F, George Dyson

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

O God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; be ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; 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: Philip Radcliffe

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

There is an old belief
That on some solemn shore
Beyond the sphere of grief
Dear friends shall meet once more:

Beyond the sphere of Time
And Sin and Fate's control,
Serene and changeless prime
Of body and of soul.

That creed I fain would keep,
That hope I'll ne'er forgo—
Eternal be the sleep
If not to waken so!

Words: adapted from Beyond, John Gibson Lockhart (1794–1854)
Music: from Songs of Farewell, Hubert Parry (1848–1918)

Members of College stand. The Master of the Choristers and the Head of the Choir School lead the Singing Boys to the Dean. The Headteacher says

Mr Dean, I present to you NN, who have completed their first year of training and will now begin to participate regularly in choral services.

The Dean addresses the new Singing Boys

It is the duty of the Choir to lead the people of God in worship, by its conduct to set an example, and to strive to lift the hearts of all people to God. In order to achieve this, it needs members who strive for excellence in all that they do. You have now completed your initial training and are ready to begin to play an active part in the daily life of this Collegiate Church. In a moment I will present each of you with a surplice, which is a sign that you have now reached this stage of your formation as choristers, and that you understand and accept the responsibilities of this position.

Do you promise to be a faithful member of this Choir?

I do.

Do you promise to do your best at all times?

I do.

Will you accept the discipline of those set over you, and serve God with reverence and joy?

I will, with the help of God.

Surplices are presented to each Singing Boy

The Dean says

May almighty God accept the offering of your worship, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.

The Singing Boys are led to their stalls by the Master of the Choristers

The Master of the Choristers leads the new Choristers to the Dean and says

Mr Dean, I present to you NN, to be admitted as Choristers of this Collegiate Church.

The Dean says

The Choristers comprise the senior boys in the Choir, whose experience and leadership provide an example to the other boys, and who formally become members of the Collegiate Foundation. With this in mind and so far as in you lies, do you promise to remain a faithful member of this Choir?

I do.

Will you continue to give of your best in all that you do within this Abbey Church?

I will, with the help of God.

Will you strive to set an example to your colleagues through your singing and your behaviour?

I will, with the help of God.

May almighty God accept the offering of your worship, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.

The Dean admits each Chorister, taking him by the hand and saying

N, you have promised to serve God in this Choir and to lead his people in worship and praise. I therefore admit you to this Collegiate Foundation of Saint Peter in Westminster, and we welcome you into our fellowship with a glad heart; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Dean addresses the Choristers

Take heed that what you sing with your lips you may believe in your heart, and that what you believe in your heart you may show forth in your daily life.

The Dean leads the Choristers to the stalls, then says

Let us pray.

All stand

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: be ever present with thy servants who seek in this place through art and music to perfect the praises of thy people; and grant to them even now such glimpses of thy beauty, that they may at length be found worthy to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Dean 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

Thy kingdom come! on bended knee
   the passing ages pray;
and faithful souls have yearned to see
   on earth that kingdom's day.

But the slow watches of the night
   not less to God belong;
and for the everlasting right
   the silent stars are strong.

And lo, already on the hills
   the flags of dawn appear;
gird up your loins, ye prophet souls,
   proclaim the day is near:

the day in whose clear-shining light
   all wrong shall stand revealed,
when justice shall be throned in might,
   and ev'ry hurt be healed;

when knowledge, hand in hand with peace,
   shall walk the earth abroad:
the day of perfect righteousness,
   the promised day of God.

Words: Frederick Hosmer (1840–1929)
Tune: Irish 500 NEH, from Samuel Powell's A Collection of Hymns and sacred Poems, Dublin, 1749

The Sermon by The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Canon in Residence

All stand to sing the Hymn during which a collection will be taken. Alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door

The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
   the darkness falls at thy behest;
to thee our morning hymns ascended,
   thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping,
   while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping,
   and rests not now by day or night.

As o'er each continent and island
   the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
   nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
   our brethren 'neath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
   thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never,
   like earth's proud empires, pass away;
thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
   till all thy creatures own thy sway.

Words: John Ellerton (1826–93)
Tune: St Clement 252i NEH, Clement Scholefield (1839–1904)

The Blessing. All respond Amen.

All remain standing as the clergy depart

Music after the service

Cortège et Litanie Op 19 no 2, Marcel Dupré (1886–1971)

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.

Hymns 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.