Lenten Evensong, Sunday, March 23 at 4 p.m.

From an article by Tom Gibbs, our Parish Musician, in The Bellows, our monthly newsletter:

Giving Artists a Voice

Open the Book of Common Prayer, and what do you see? After the Table of Contents and other preliminaries, there it is, right at the beginning: The Daily Office. It is “daily” because our oldest traditions include gathering for prayer at various times of day--every day, not just Sunday. It is “office” because this is the traditional designation for a service of prayer other than the Eucharist. 

If your life as an Episcopalian is older than the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, then you probably are familiar with the Daily Office called “Morning Prayer,” which was once used in many churches on Sunday mornings.

At St. Dunstan’s, we have on rare occasions offered “Evening Prayer” on Sundays in the late afternoon. Both Morning and Evening Prayer can be spoken or sung, or often some of each. Both contain psalms, which are always intended to be sung, and both contain other excerpts of scripture, called “canticles,” that are also intended to be sung.

For example, Morning Prayer can include “The Song of Zechariah” (Luke 1:68-79). Evening Prayer typically includes “The Song of Mary” (Luke 1:46-55) and “The Song of Simeon” (Luke 2:29-32). 

Canticles can be sung by the congregation, like the psalms, but they have also received special attention from composers of choral music. Indeed, since the Middle Ages, the church has systematically incorporated the creations of musicians and artists into its liturgies.

These creations have not been understood as mere decoration, however, but as integral parts of the liturgical experience and essential ways of expounding the gospel message. When a contemporary composer sets a text for use in the liturgy, he or she is joining a long tradition of composers who have served the church in this way. 

St. Dunstan’s belongs to this tradition of support and encouragement for musicians and artists. On several occasions, St. Dunstan’s has commissioned composers to write music for a specific occasion. “Commission” usually suggests that the composer, as a professional, is paid for the work, but, this is not always the case. 

I asked John Morgan to write some new music for our 50th anniversary celebration, and he has done so as part of his ongoing offering to St. Dunstan’s. John has written a “Song of Mary” (Magnificat), which we heard at our Advent Lessons and Carols last December. He has also now completed a “Song of Simeon” (Nunc dimittis), and together these two canticle settings become an “Evening Service” known as “The St. Dunstan service."

John amplifies the texts with music that is partly traditional and partly very contemporary, and at every moment full of beauty, creative energy, and optimism. Please come to Evensong at St. Dunstan’s on March 23 at 4 p.m. and hear these canticle settings.

Maggie Harney has also made an invaluable contribution to our 50th anniversary celebration. We have already used her “Hymn for St. Dunstan’s” on two occasions, and we will sing it again at Evensong on March 23. Every hymn is first of all poetry, and Maggie’s poetry is touching and beautiful. 

 There will be other musical commissions and world premieres in the coming months as we continue the anniversary celebration. I am thankful that St. Dunstan’s continues the ancient tradition of giving artists a voice in the liturgies of the church.

Tom