Since the first Book of Common Prayer appeared in 1549, the newly-minted "offices" (services of prayer and praise for specific times of day) of Morning and Evening Prayer have been sung daily in cathedrals and chapels throughout the Anglican church. Composers such as Byrd and Tallis, who wrote during the tumultuous birthing of the Church of England, to Howells and Leighton in our own day, have bequeathed us magnificent choral settings of the "Versicles and Responses," in music as sublime as any of their choral anthems.

To have these portions of Morning Prayer (Matins) or Evening Prayer (Evensong) sung by the choir calls for a deeper level of participation from everyone. When they are sung, rather than robbing the congregation of spoken texts, all worshippers are invited into a more intense experience, with the freedom to meditate on the meaning behind the words. Just as when the cake and candles are brought out, we sing, rather than say "Happy Birthday to you!" and in so doing, we heighten the bonds of community among honoree and well-wishers alike.

The musical setting of the Responses that we will hear this Sunday at the 11:15 am service is in the Mixolydian mode, which is nothing more than the major scale with its seventh note lowered by a semitone. Mixolydian is one of the several ancient church modes (or scales) from which major and minor eventually evolved. Singing Morning Prayer in this way is great trip preparation for our Choristers and Touring Choir Adults who will sing Evensong in this manner daily in England this August. They are glad to share this rich form of worship with their home parish here in Boston.

—Richard Webster, Associate Director of Music