Singing out in prayer

Michele Marr

Vespers is the primary type of evening worship service in the

Anglican, Roman and orthodox Christian churches. It is rooted in the

forms of ancient monastic worship. In the Anglican and Episcopal church

in the U.S., vespers is often called, simply, evening prayer. When the

service is sung or chanted by a choir it is called evensong.

On March 3, Saint Michael and All Angels in Corona del Mar will hold

another service in its new Friends of Music Evensong Series. The church’s

adult choir and soloists will provide choral music for the “Lenten Choral

Evensong.” Prayers known as the “Magnificat” and “Nunc Dimittus” form the

centerpiece for this traditional service.

“The words of these prayers are from the Bible and their titles are

the first words of each passage, in Latin,” explained Timothy Getz,

minister of music. “Their words have been set by hundreds of composers.”

According to Getz, the service is uniquely Anglican and will be very

much like a service that might be heard in an English cathedral. In

addition to the “Magnificat” and “Nunc Dimittus,” the service includes an

opening anthem, also called an “introit”; a psalm; a hymn and a

concluding piece of music called a “sentence.”

This time-honored form of evensong was selected especially with the

Lenten season, a penitential church season, in mind. As traditional and

grounded in antiquity as the service is, however, both Getz and tenor

Richard Zevnik believe it has wide appeal.

“Anyone who enjoys choral music would enjoy this service,” Zevnik

said. “You really don’t have to know the liturgy of the service. The

whole service is in the Book of Common Prayer and it’s fairly easy to

follow.”

The next evensong in the series will be led by the church’s new

children’s choirs, the Cherubim choir of first- through third-graders and

the Seraphim choir of fourth- through sixth-graders. The April 7 service,

titled “Happy Voices” will follow the traditional evensong form and will

include special Eastertide music.

“‘Happy Voices’ comes from one of the prayers in the service titled

‘Phos Hilaron,”’ said Getz. “I chose it because it seemed to fit a

service led by children.”

Not all of the services in the evensong series will be nearly so

conventional. On May 5, special guest Norman Freeman, vicar of St.

Michael and All Angels in Isla Vista and Grammy Award-winning musician,

will bring his “Jazz Vespers” to the series. Freeman is a graduate of the

Julliard School of music who has performed with a diverse group of

musicians that include the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera,

Barbara Streisand’s 1994 concert tour, the Moody Blues, Lionel Ritchie

and Rosemary Clooney.

He attended the General Theological Seminary and was ordained an

Episcopal priest in 1994. He describes “Jazz Vespers” as, “a synthesis of

traditions, a blending of an age old liturgy with the unique musical

language we call jazz.” The “Jazz Vespers” follows the familiar order of

service for evening prayer, but the music is all jazz with Freeman

playing marimbas and three more musicians on drums, bass and piano. An

audio sampling of “Jazz Vespers” can be heard on Freeman’s Web site at

o7 www.jazzministry.orgf7 .

On June 2, the series will present “Organsong.” The service will use

the traditional texts of the evensong service, while the music that is

customarily sung by a choir will either be spoken or sung in hymn form,

interspersed with organ music. Getz, on the church’s Abbot and Sieker

pipe organ of 28 ranks, will play the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C

Major by J.S. Bach, as well as “Carillon de Westminster” by Louis Vierne

and other pieces of music.

“Church music is becoming such a rarity,” said Getz. “These services

offer everyone an opportunity to hear this music in the context it was

written for.”

And if that is not enough, choir member Jerry McMillan suggested, “You

might want to come for the treats.” The Friends of Music group always

provides, said McMillan and Getz in perfect harmony, “really, really good

treats” at a reception that follows each service.

FYI

* What: Friends of Music Evensong Series

* Where: St. Michael and All Angels, 3233 Pacific View Drive (at

Marguerite), Corona del Mar

* When: First Sunday evening of each month, March through June, at 5

p.m. The series recesses will break for July and August and resume in

September

* Cost: Free

* Call: (949) 644-0463