Find evensong near you
Use your location to find Anglican churches and cathedrals nearby, then check their music lists for choral evensong.
What evensong is
Evensong is the evening service of the Church of England, created by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer by weaving together the old monastic offices of vespers and compline. Its words have barely changed since 1662. When the service is sung by a choir it is called choral evensong, and the congregation's part is mostly to listen: the choir sings the psalms, the two great canticles, the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis, and an anthem, while the clergy and readers carry the prayers and lessons. It normally lasts 35 to 45 minutes.
Because the music changes daily, no two evensongs are alike. Settings range from Tudor masters such as Tallis and Byrd to Stanford, Howells and living composers. Cathedrals publish a music list each term so you can choose an evening whose music appeals.
Where and when to find it
- Cathedrals. Nearly every English cathedral sings evensong most days of the week, typically at 5:15 or 5:30pm on weekdays and mid-afternoon, around 3 or 3:30pm, on Sundays. Choirs rest one or two days a week, when the service is said instead, so check the music list.
- Oxford and Cambridge college chapels. During university term, chapels such as King's, St John's, Magdalen and New College sing evensong several evenings a week, usually around 6pm, and visitors are welcome.
- Greater churches and abbeys. Westminster Abbey, larger parish churches and collegiate foundations with strong choirs sing evensong weekly or more, often on a Sunday evening.
- Parish churches. Many parishes keep a said or hymn-based evensong on Sunday evenings, a gentler, congregational cousin of the cathedral service.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Choral evensong lives in the Scottish Episcopal, Church in Wales and Church of Ireland cathedrals too, from St Mary's Edinburgh to Llandaff and St Anne's Belfast.
What happens when you attend
- Arrive ten minutes early and tell the steward you are there for evensong; in cathedrals that charge tourists for entry, worshippers attend free.
- You will be handed a service booklet and shown to a seat, sometimes in the choir stalls themselves.
- Stand when the choir and clergy enter and for the canticles and creed, sit for the psalms and readings, kneel or sit for the prayers. Following your neighbours works perfectly.
- The congregation says the creed and the responses marked in bold, and usually sings one hymn. Everything else is done for you.
- There is no communion, no sermon on weekdays, and no collection at most weekday evensongs. Leave quietly or greet the clergy at the door as you prefer.
Why people love it
Evensong draws a mixed congregation: regular worshippers, choral music lovers, tourists, students decompressing after lectures, and many people who would not call themselves religious but find the service a doorway to peace. Nobody will ask where you stand. As a way into church life it is uniquely low-pressure, and as a daily practice it has carried the English choral tradition unbroken from the Reformation to this evening. Attendance at cathedral evensong has actually grown in recent years, against the wider trend.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book or pay?
No. Evensong is public worship and always free, including at cathedrals and famous college chapels. For the most popular chapels, such as King's College Cambridge, arrive early as seats fill in high season.
Can I attend if I am not religious?
Yes, and many attenders are not. Sit, listen and let the service do its work. Participation beyond standing and sitting is entirely optional.
How do I find one this week?
Find your nearest cathedral or large Anglican church through the finder above, our Anglican listings or the county index, then check the church's website for its music list and this week's evensong times.