Last night, we attended an Even Song service at a friend’s parish, and it was wonderful! I don’t know if they do this all the time, or if they just “pulled out all the stops” because they had a visiting choir (more on that in a minute) but judging from the ease with which the congregation sang the responses to this service, I think this is Standard Operating Procedure.
First off, their cantor had a truly lovely voice. I’ve heard folks chant who really should be taken aside, and told – gently, gently – that they really shouldn’t do that. She chanted the Opening Sentences and the Great Litany, and then we settled back to listen to the Cymrag Cor Rehoboth – the Rehoboth Welsh Choir – sing, at the appropriate places, two canticles, the Lord’s Prayer, and at the very end of the service, the Welsh National anthem. All of the hymns were Welsh tunes – Watchman Tell Us of the Night (also the tune to Jesus, Lover of My Soul), Singing Songs of Expectation (I wonder why they removed Once to Every Man and Nation from the current hymnal) and Lord Whose Love Through Humble Service – which seems to stand alone.
It truly did my Anglican soul good. All that was missing was the incense!
thisendoftheswamp 