The Hillsdale College Choral Scholars program will now have weekly Choral Evensong services in Christ Chapel on Sundays at 6 p.m.
According to Timothy McDonnell, associate professor of music and choral scholars program director, Evensong services have been a goal of the Choral Scholars program since its inception and the planning of Christ Chapel.
“The idea of weekly Evensong was first articulated to me by Dr. Arnn during my job interview,” McDonnell said. “In envisioning the life of the college chapel, he reflected on his experience while in Oxford, where he was inspired by the beauty, reverence, and prayerfulness of Evensong at Magdalen College’s chapel. It occurred to him that the service’s accessible, but firmly Christian form, would serve a broad cross section of our students, and that in the midst of study and cultivating friendships, Evensong could be a still, quiet place to pray, reflect, and be inspired.”
According to McDonnell, Evensong is the sung evening service of prayer established by the Church of England in the 16th century and draws from the Catholic monastic tradition of Vespers and Compline, parts of the daily cycle of prayer known as the Divine Office.
“At the heart of this ancient tradition of Christian prayer is the praying of psalms, the ancient prayer book of the Church in which we hear the voice of Christ speaking to us under his various titles as Redeemer,” McDonnell said. “In the course of history, the use of choral music in Evensong has become one of its hallmarks, and the service is widely recognized for its beautiful language and musical heritage. In addition to the choral elements, the congregation joins in the singing of hymns.”
Evensong will be offered by the choral scholars program, a subset of chapel choir established last fall in which students rehearse together five days per week with an emphasis on sacred music and a higher level of choral training.
Freshman Josie Nolen said she and the members of choral scholars are excited to sing as a group independent from chapel choir starting this semester.
“Last semester, we focused a lot on building the program,” Nolen said. “We were in tutorials twice a week, and we had our own rehearsals outside of chapel choir where we were working on ensemble techniques, vocal skills, the mechanics of singing, and the philosophy of singing. I’m really proud of us that we were able to take things that we learned from last year, and we’re starting to put it into practice and make beautiful music together.”
Junior and choral scholars member Adam Lindauer said he has found Evensong to be a place of respite and prayer.
“I often tell people that the choral scholars program is my favorite thing that I do here,” Lindauer said. “Every rehearsal is a respite from my busy day, and being immersed in singing sacred music is very prayerful for me. I both hope and expect Sunday Evensong to become a beloved tradition and pillar of our campus community. No matter where we go to church on Sunday, this is a place where we can all worship together.”
McDonnell said he hopes that Evensong will benefit the college by emphasizing the place of Christ and worship at the center of our campus community.
“The campus spends its days pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful, the ultimate convergence of which is found in God,” McDonnell said. “The choral service in the Chapel is very much a concrete expression of this endeavor.”