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 Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

Justorum animae in manu Dei sunt,
et non tanget illos tormentum malitiae.
Visi sunt oculis insipientium mori,
illi autem sunt in pace.

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, but they are in peace.

Words: Wisdom 3: 1–2a, 3b
Matthew Martin (b 1976)

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

Bernard Rose (1916–96)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 119: 65–80

O Lord, thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant : according unto thy word.
O learn me true understanding and knowledge : for I have believed thy commandments.
Before I was troubled, I went wrong : but now have I kept thy word.
Thou art good and gracious : O teach me thy statutes.
The proud have imagined a lie against me : but I will keep thy commandments with my whole heart.
Their heart is as fat as brawn : but my delight hath been in thy law.
It is good for me that I have been in trouble : that I may learn thy statutes.
The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me : than thousands of gold and silver.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me : O give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
They that fear thee will be glad when they see me : because I have put my trust in thy word.
I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right : and that thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled.
O let thy merciful kindness be my comfort : according to thy word unto thy servant.
O let thy loving mercies come unto me, that I may live : for thy law is my delight.
Let the proud be confounded, for they go wickedly about to destroy me : but I will be occupied in thy commandments.
Let such as fear thee, and have known thy testimonies : be turned unto me.
O let my heart be sound in thy statutes : that I be not ashamed.

All stand

Chants: plainsong

All sit for the first Lesson, Isaiah 43: 14–end

Thus says the Lord,
   your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
   and break down all the bars,
   and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
   the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus says the Lord,
   who makes a way in the sea,
   a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
   army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
   they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
   or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me,
   the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
   rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
   the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
   but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
You have not brought me your sheep for burnt-offerings,
   or honoured me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
   or wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
   or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
   you have wearied me with your iniquities.

I, I am He
   who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
   and I will not remember your sins.
Accuse me, let us go to trial;
   set forth your case, so that you may be proved right.
Your first ancestor sinned,
   and your interpreters transgressed against me.
Therefore I profaned the princes of the sanctuary,
   I delivered Jacob to utter destruction,
   and Israel to reviling.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Service in E, Charles Macpherson (1870–1927)

All sit for the second Lesson, Hebrews 3: 1–15

Brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also 'was faithful in all God's house.' Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honour than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. Christ, however, was faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
'Today, if you hear his voice,
   do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
   where your ancestors put me to the test,
though they had seen my works for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, "They always go astray in their hearts,
   and they have not known my ways."
As in my anger I swore,
   "They will not enter my rest."'
Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today', so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. As it is said,
'Today, if you hear his voice,
   do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.'

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Service in E, Charles Macpherson

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, of Lent, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; 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

Circumdederunt me gemitus mortis,
dolores inferni circumdederunt me.
Et in tribulatione mea invocavi Dominum,
et exaudivit de templo sancto suo vocem meam.

Diligam te Domine, fortitudo mea. Domine firmamentum meum, et refugium meum, et liberator meus.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto;
sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

The cords of death entwined me, the cords of the Pit fastened about me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice in his temple.

I love you, O Lord my strength. The Lord is my crag, my fortress, and my deliverer.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.

Words: from Psalm 18
Music: Matthew Martin

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

God moves in a mysterious way
   his wonders to perform;
he plants his footsteps in the sea,
   and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
   of never-failing skill
he treasures up his bright designs,
   and works his sov'reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
   the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
   in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
   but trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
   he hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
   unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
   but sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
   and scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
   and he will make it plain.

Words: William Cowper (1731–1800)
Tune: 'London New' 365 NEH, from the 'Scottish Psalter' 1635 adapted in 'Psalms and Hymns in Solemn Musick' by John Playford (1623–86)

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Litanies, Jehan Alain (1911–40)

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

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.