Participants in this year's Tulsa course of the Royal School for Church Music will sing several Choral Evensong services around Tulsa this week. Here's the schedule:
Monday 14 July - Thursday 17 July 7:45 p.m. - University United Methodist Church 5th Street and South College AvenueFriday 18 July
6:00 p.m. - First Presbyterian Church
7th and Boston AvenueSunday 20 July
4:00 p.m. - Trinity Episcopal Church
5th and CincinnatiThe course participants will also sing the morning liturgy at Trinity
Episcopal Church on Sunday 20 July at 11:15 a.m.James Litton - Director; Jeremy Bruns - Organist
Music by Shephard, Archer, Bairstow, Sowerby, Sumsion, Smith, Bainton, Mundy and Howells
Choral evensong is a brief, traditional Anglican service that combines the reading of scripture, Psalms set to Anglican chant, and eloquent prayers that are as relevant today as when they were composed over 400 years ago. It is a world away from contemporary worship services that seem more focused on the worship leader than on God. Make it a point to attend at least one service this week.
This week, the week of the 4th Sunday after Trinity, each evening's service will include the following "collect" (prayer):
O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord.
