Choral Evensong

I haven’t been a churchgoer for years, but when I did go, I loved the liturgy, and psalms and the anthems. Parry, Bainton, Stanford et al. Calming and meaningful. Can’t be doing with all this happy clappy stuff, but each to their own.

We’re not at all religious, but when a dd and I were visiting York some years ago, we happened to enter York Minster shortly before (as one of the attendants told us) a service was due to start, but we were welcome to stay.

So we did. It was choral Evensong, and a wonderfully peaceful and calming experience, especially after a hard day’s sightseeing! I would do that again any time.

water meadow, our Church has become evangelical. It’s still the same beautiful, peaceful place but I m alienated by the happy flappy services. I miss the beautiful words of the services I grew up with in traditional Church of England and the hymns
Having said this - the `church is full so it’s doing something right

I like a spoken early morning BCP Holy Communion. Sadly not on offer here. One ‘family’ service a month is held in our beautiful old Church as the rector covers several parishes. I too miss the traditional services I grew up with.

Choral evensong was held at several Cambridge college chapels when I lived there. Beautiful to listen to.

In my local C of E church, which I only attend rarely, there are services including Evensong which don’t involve Communion. It’s worth looking to see what’s available in your area.

We have Morning Prayer one Sunday a month, and Communion once a month.

When I was a teenager, I used to go to Evensong with my mum. Sometimes (it was a little country church) there were only 4 or 5 of us there, the Vicar played the organ, but as Mum said “You feel like you’ve been to church”.

Simpler times, happy carefree days.

OP are you mobile, if so why not google/look around for a prayer book service or choral evensong.
these are still available in many places, maybe not the depths of the country though.
some are available on radio or via internet.
don't give up.

here you go,

www.choralevensong.org/uk/where-and-when-are-evensongs-streamed-online-around-britain-and-ireland.php

I love services from the old Prayer Book and I used to attend the sung Eucharist on Sunday mornings at St Giles in The Fields near Tottenham Court station. I found it so uplifting. Here there is no such service and I was going to search for a radio or televised service. I must renew my membership of the Prayer Book Society. It keeps the lovely old prayer book going.

Iam64

water meadow, our Church has become evangelical. It’s still the same beautiful, peaceful place but I m alienated by the happy flappy services. I miss the beautiful words of the services I grew up with in traditional Church of England and the hymns
Having said this - the `church is full so it’s doing something right

I’m not keen on the happy, clappy services either Iam. The old, beautiful hymns, the organ music, I miss that too.

The traditional services are still available in cathedrals, and with choir schools attached the music is genuinely heavenly. I know not everyone has a cathedral in reach, but if you do, do make use of it. Numbers attending can affect funding, and we need to protect our wonderful cathedrals.

Choral evensong is lovely. I am agnostic, but am happy to hear this beautiful music in our local cathedral.

In that I am like John Rutter - his take on it all is very interesting.

everything is in flux,but even though the rc church would be one of the last places i would step in, but those hymns ,ave marias,etc i do miss them.They can be found in other places as said. hope you find it.