Many of us in will be settling down to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday evening in all of its commercial glory. (I will be one of those people.) But if you'd like something a bit calmer, with less tackling, join us before the game at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church on the Green in Middlebury Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. We'll be holding a service of Evensong, an ancient form of liturgy that originated in the Church of England in the 1550s.

The service consists of readings, hymns, a psalm, prayers, an anthem, sung responses, and two traditional canticles: the Magnificat (or Song of Mary) and the Nunc Dimittis (or Song of Simeon). In this service the canticles will be sung by the choir in a setting by Thomas Tomkins, probably written in the early 1600s. Don't worry, it's all in English! The choral anthem will be more contemporary: "Set Me As a Seal" by René Clausen, written in the 1980s. The congregation also gets to sing a couple of hymns and join in the Tallis canon (don't worry, you'll recognize it when you hear it)

So set aside part of your Sunday afternoon for something more contemplative and join us at 4 p.m.! You'll be welcome!

Dec 18, 2024, 6 to 7:30 PM

Dec 18, 2024, 7 to 8 PM

Dec 18, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM