Choral Evensong – St David’s Day

Our Choral Evensong this week honours the life and witness of the great sixth‑century patron saint of Wales, St David.

He and our own matron saint, Brigid of Kildare, sprang from the interweaving of Celtic traditions and early medieval Christianity.

David shaped a faith rooted in community, compassion, and a deep reverence for creation. His and Brigid’s shared legacy of simplicity, generosity, and everyday holiness invites us to pause amid the busyness of life and rediscover the quiet strength to “Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things.”

Choral Evensong is a peaceful and prayerful service, steeped in history and tradition and full of wonderful music. It lasts under one hour.

Photo above: Central icon of the restored shrine to St David in St David’s Cathedral, painted and gilded by Sarah Crisp.

Music at the service

Music for the service – which is performed by our professional St Bride’s Choir and organist – all has strong Welsh connections.

The responses are by James Gough (a former organ scholar at St Bride’s), who grew up in Swansea. The anthem is a setting of Psalm 67 by the Welsh composer, William Mathias, who is buried at St Asaph Cathedral. The canticles are by Walford Davies, who ended his life as a very British establishment figure, but had a Welsh family background and was Professor of Music at Aberystwyth for many years.

The closing voluntary is a setting of the Welsh tune Calon Lân, one of the great Welsh anthems, sung at concerts and eisteddfodau and before rugby union matches of the Welsh national team.

Responses: James Gough
Psalm: 135: 1-14
Canticles: Evening Service in E flat – Henry Walford Davies
Anthem: Let the people praise thee, O God – William Mathias
Sermon: The Revd Dr Jeff Lake, Associate Priest of St Bride’s
Organ Voluntary: Fantasy on Calon Lân – Isabelle Ryder

Find out more about the service of Choral Evensong.

Additional Information

Directions to St Bride’s Church and information about accessibility are available on our Visit Us page. Attendees are free to come and go quietly as they wish.

Online Worship

This service will not be available online. However, a specially created short reflection in words and music is released each Sunday morning on our social media channels (scroll down for the links).