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 Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Following the service, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between St George's College Jerusalem and the work of the Abbey. St George's College Jerusalem is the Anglican centre for pilgrimage, education, hospitality, and reconciliation in the Holy Land.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills—
   from whence cometh my help?
My help cometh even from the Lord,
   who hath made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved;
   and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel
   shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord himself is thy keeper;
   the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
so that the sun shall not burn thee by day,
   neither the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil;
   yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve
   thy going out, and thy coming in
   from this time forth and for evermore.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills—
   from whence cometh my help?

Words: Psalm 121
Music: from 'Requiem' Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

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: Richard Ayleward (1626–69)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 119: 33–40, 89–96

Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes : and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law : yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments : for therein is my desire.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies : and not to covetousness.
O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity : and quicken thou me in thy way.
O stablish thy word in thy servant : that I may fear thee.
Take away the rebuke that I am afraid of : for thy judgements are good.
Behold, my delight is in thy commandments : O quicken me in thy righteousness.

O Lord, thy word : endureth for ever in heaven.
Thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another : thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth.
They continue this day according to thine ordinance : for all things serve thee.
If my delight had not been in thy law : I should have perished in my trouble.
I will never forget thy commandments : for with them thou hast quickened me.
I am thine, O save me : for I have sought thy commandments.
The ungodly laid wait for me to destroy me : but I will consider thy testimonies.
I see that all things come to an end : but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

All stand

Chants: John Stainer (1840–1901) after Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), and George Garrett (1834–97)

All sit for the first Lesson, Ecclesiastes 5: 4–12

When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfil what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfil it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands?

With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God.

If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a ploughed field.

The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?

Sweet is the sleep of labourers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Dallas Service, Herbert Howells

All sit for the second Lesson, Matthew 19: 16–end

Someone came to Jesus and said, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?' And he said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.' He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these; what do I still lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, 'Then who can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.'

Then Peter said in reply, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.'

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Dallas 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.

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 almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an apostle and evangelist; grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, 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: Richard Ayleward

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Take him, earth, for cherishing,
To thy tender breast receive him.
Body of a man I bring thee,
Noble even in its ruin.

Once was this a spirit's dwelling,
By the breath of God created.
High the heart that here was beating,
Christ the prince of all its living.

Guard him well, the dead I give thee,
Not unmindful of his creature
Shall he ask it: he who made it
Symbol of his mystery.

Comes the hour God hath appointed
To fulfil the hope of men,
Then must thou, in very fashion,
What I give, return again.

Not though ancient time decaying
Wear away these bones to sand,
Ashes that a man might measure
In the hollow of his hand:

Not though wandering winds and idle,
Drifting through the empty sky,
Scatter dust was nerve and sinew,
Is it given man to die.

Once again the shining road
Leads to ample Paradise;
Open are the woods again
That the Serpent lost for men.

Take, O take him, mighty Leader,
Take again thy servant's soul,
Grave his name, and pour the fragrant
Balm upon the icy stone.

Words: Prudentius (348–c 413) translated by Helen Waddell (1889–1965)
Music: Herbert Howells

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

All my hope on God is founded;
   he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
   only good and only true.
      God unknown,
      he alone
   calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
   sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
   tower and temple, fall to dust.
      But God's power,
      hour by hour,
   is my temple and my tower.

God's great goodness aye endureth,
   deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
   beauty springeth out of naught.
      Evermore
      from his store
   new-born worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth th'Almighty giver
   bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
   pleasure leads us where we go.
      Love doth stand
      at his hand;
   joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
   sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
   for the gift of Christ his Son.
      Christ doth call
      one and all:
   ye who follow shall not fall.

Words: 'Meine Hoffnung stehet feste' Joachim Neander (1650–80) translated by Robert Bridges (1844–1930)
Tune: 'Michael' 333 NEH, Herbert Howells

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Rhapsody in C sharp minor Op 17 no 3, Herbert Howells

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

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

St Margaret's Choristers

If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact Greg Morris, Director of Music, St Margaret's Church, [email protected]. Find out more about Music at St Margaret's Church.

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. 

Alternatively, please contact Dr Emma Margrett, Head, Westminster Abbey Choir School, [email protected]. Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, [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.

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.