Abbey Celebrates The Queen's 90th Birthday

Thursday, 21st April 2016

Abbey Celebrates The Queen's 90th Birthday

Westminster Abbey will mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen at Evensong on Thursday 21st April and with a full peal of bells at 1.00pm.

The congregation will sing the National Anthem at the start of Evensong and the Choir will sing William Byrd's setting of 'O Lord, make thy servant Elizabeth' (Psalm 21).

Byrd joined Queen Elizabeth I's Chapel Royal in 1572, and probably wrote this anthem a few years later. Its text comes from Psalm 21 and has been sung at significant royal occasions ever since. Prayers will also be said at Evensong, as they are each evening at the Abbey, for The Queen and the Royal Family

The Abbey's Company of Ringers will ring a full peal of Triton Delight Royal, which will take three hours and involved 5,000 changes.