Welcome to Westminster Abbey. Daily prayer has been offered in this place for over a thousand years, and your participation in today's service is warmly welcomed. At choral Evensong most of the service is sung by the choir on our behalf. We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might become a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory.

The service always includes one or more psalms. These ancient prayers, taken from the Old Testament, reflect the full range of human emotions and experiences; from the depths of anger, resentment, and abandonment to the heights of ecstatic joy and praise. They were used by Jesus, and have always been at the heart of the Church's daily prayer.

The canticles Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55) and Nunc dimittis (Luke 2: 29–32) reflect two responses to the Incarnation (God becoming fully human in Jesus Christ). Both speak of the fulfilment of God's promises, not just to 'Abraham and his seed', but also 'to be a light to lighten the Gentiles' (all nations). With their themes of fulfilment and completion, these texts have been given central place for many centuries in the Church's prayers for the evening and at the end of the day.

Please join in saying the words and singing the hymn printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

During the Abbey Choir's vacation we welcome visiting choirs from the United Kingdom and beyond to lead the music at our services. The service is sung by the Chapel Choir of Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge.

Following the service a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between The Honeypot Children's Charity and the work of the Abbey. Honeypot works to enhance the lives of young carers aged 5–12 years by providing respite breaks and ongoing outreach support.

Order of Service

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

All remain standing as the officiant introduces the Confession

Beloved, we are come together in the presence of Almighty God and of the whole company of heaven to offer unto him through our Lord Jesus Christ our worship and praise and thanksgiving; to make confession of our sins; to pray, as well for others as for ourselves, that we may know more truly the greatness of God's love and show forth in our lives the fruits of his grace; and to ask on behalf of all people such things as their well-being doth require. Wherefore let us sit or kneel and keep silence, and remember God's presence with us now.

All kneel or sit to say together

O God, our Father,
we have sinned against thee
in thought, word, and deed;
we have not loved thee with all our heart;
we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.
Have mercy upon us, we beseech thee;
cleanse us from our sins;
and help us to overcome our faults;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The officiant gives the Absolution

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant unto you pardon and remission of all your sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All say together the Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

All stand. The officiant and choir sing the Responses

Music: Philip Radcliffe (1905–86)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 145

I will magnify thee, O God, my King : and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
Every day will I give thanks unto thee : and praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised : there is no end of his greatness.
One generation shall praise thy works unto another : and declare thy power.
As for me, I will be talking of thy worship : thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
so that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts : and I will also tell of thy greatness.
The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed : and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious, and merciful : long-suffering, and of great goodness.
The Lord is loving unto every man : and his mercy is over all his works.
All thy works praise thee, O Lord : and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
They shew the glory of thy kingdom : and talk of thy power;
that thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom : might be known unto men.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom : and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
The Lord upholdeth all such as fall : and lifteth up all those that are down.
The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord : and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand : and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways : and holy in all his works.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him : yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him : he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
The Lord preserveth all them that love him : but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord : and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever.

All stand

Chant: William Marsh (1757–1818)

All sit for the first Lesson, Job 14: 1–14

'A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble,
   comes up like a flower and withers,
   flees like a shadow and does not last.
Do you fix your eyes on such a one?
   Do you bring me into judgement with you?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
   No one can.
Since their days are determined,
   and the number of their months is known to you,
   and you have appointed the bounds that they cannot pass,
look away from them, and desist,
   that they may enjoy, like labourers, their days.

'For there is hope for a tree,
   if it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
   and that its shoots will not cease.
Though its root grows old in the earth,
   and its stump dies in the ground,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
   and put forth branches like a young plant.
But mortals die, and are laid low;
   humans expire, and where are they?
As waters fail from a lake,
   and a river wastes away and dries up,
so mortals lie down and do not rise again;
   until the heavens are no more, they will not awake
   or be roused out of their sleep.
O that you would hide me in Sheol,
   that you would conceal me until your wrath is past,
   that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
If mortals die, will they live again?
   All the days of my service I would wait
   until my release should come.'

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Canticles in A, Herbert Sumsion (1899–1995)

All sit for the second Lesson, John 21: 1–14

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will go with you.' They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, 'Children, you have no fish, have you?' They answered him, 'No.' He said to them, 'Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.' So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, 'Who are you?' because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Canticles in A, Herbert Sumsion

All face east to say together the Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth:
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit. The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The officiant sings the Collects; of the day, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Lighten our darkness we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Music: Philip Radcliffe

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Dum transisset Sabbatum Maria Magdelene et Maria Jacobi et Salome emerunt aromata ut venientes ungerent Jesum. Alleluia!
Et valde mane una sabbatorum veniunt ad monumentum orto iam sole; ut venientes ungerent Jesum. Alleluia!

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Alleluia!

When the Sabbath was over Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Jesus. Alleluia!
And very early on the first day of the week they came to the tomb when the sun had risen, so that they might come and anoint Jesus. Alleluia!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Alleluia!

Words: Responsory for Easter Day
Music: John Taverner (c 1490–1545)

All kneel or remain seated for the Intercessions

The officiant says the Prayers; for the Royal Family, and for the Members of the Order of the Bath

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles, Queen Camilla, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: endue them with thy Holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God save our Gracious Sovereign, and all the Members of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath living and departed. Amen.

All say

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.

All stand to sing the Hymn

Now is eternal life,
   if risen with Christ we stand,
in him to life reborn,
   and holden in his hand;
no more we fear death's ancient dread,
in Christ arisen from the dead.

For God, the living God,
   stooped down to man's estate;
by death destroying death,
   Christ opened wide life's gate:
he lives, who died; he reigns on high;
who lives in him shall never die.

Unfathomed love divine,
   reign thou within my heart;
from thee nor depth nor height,
   nor life nor death can part;
our life is hid with God in thee,
now and through all eternity.

Words: George Briggs (1875–1959)
Tune: 'Christchurch' 114 NEH, Charles Steggall (1826–1905)

All remain standing as the choir and clergy depart

Music after the service

Prelude and Fugue in C BWV 547, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary

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