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 Open Doors and the work of the Abbey. Open Doors helps persecuted Christians around the world continue to follow Jesus courageously.

The Commonwealth Nations

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

O quam gloriosum est regnum in quo cum Christo gaudent omnes sancti. Amicti stolis albis sequuntur Agnum quocumque ierit.

How glorious is the kingdom where all the saints rejoice with Christ. Clothed in white robes they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

Words: Magnificat antiphon for All Saints' Day (after Revelation 14: 4)
Music: Tomás Luis de Victoria (c 1548–1611)

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: Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656)

All sit. The choir sings Psalms 1 and 5

Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners : and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord : and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side : that will bring forth his fruit in due season.
His leaf also shall not wither : and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.
As for the ungodly, it is not so with them : but they are like the chaff, which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth.
Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgement : neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous : and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

All stand

Chant: Edward John Hopkins (1818–1901)

All sit for the first Lesson, Ecclesiasticus 44: 1–15

Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
   our ancestors in their generations.
The Lord apportioned to them great glory,
   his majesty from the beginning.
There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
   and made a name for themselves by their valour;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
   those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
those who led the people by their counsels
   and by their knowledge of the people's lore;
   they were wise in their words of instruction;
those who composed musical tunes,
   or put verses in writing;
rich men endowed with resources,
   living peacefully in their homes—
all these were honoured in their generations,
   and were the pride of their times.
Some of them have left behind a name,
   so that others declare their praise.
But of others there is no memory;
   they have perished as though they had never existed;
they have become as though they had never been born,
   they and their children after them.
But these also were godly men,
   whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
their wealth will remain with their descendants,
   and their inheritance with their children's children.
Their descendants stand by the covenants;
   their children also, for their sake.
Their offspring will continue for ever,
   and their glory will never be blotted out.
Their bodies are buried in peace,
   but their name lives on generation after generation.
The assembly declares their wisdom,
   and the congregation proclaims their praise.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Service in E flat, Michael Wise (c 1647–87)

All sit for the second Lesson, Revelation 19: 6–10

I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
'Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
   the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
   and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
   with fine linen, bright and pure'—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.' Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Service in E flat, Michael Wise

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 hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; grant us grace so to follow thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; 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: Thomas Tomkins

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

'Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt.

'Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur.

'Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.'

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

'Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'

Words: Matthew 5: 8–10
Music: William Byrd (c 1540–1623) 'Gradualia' 1605

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

Give me the wings of faith to rise
   within the veil, and see
the saints above, how great their joys,
   how bright their glories be.

Once they were mourning here below,
   and wet their couch with tears;
they wrestled hard, as we do now,
   with sins and doubts and fears.

I ask them whence their victory came:
   they, with united breath,
ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
   their triumph to his death.

They marked the footsteps that he trod,
   his zeal inspired their breast,
and, following their incarnate God,
   they reached the promised rest.

Our glorious Leader claims our praise
   for his own pattern given;
while the great cloud of witnesses
   show the same path to heaven.

Words: Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
Tune: 'Song 67' 225i NEH, Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625), Organist of Westminster Abbey 1623–25

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

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, Headteacher, 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.